The President has given the green light to the NCC's proposal to reassess the National Communications Act of 2003.

The Federal Government has given the nod to the Nigerian Communications Commission's bid to review the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, according to Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, who made this known yesterday in Lagos.

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Usman emphasized that Nigeria's quest for a competitive digital economy cannot be achieved with outdated telecommunications policies and weak implementation systems, hence the need for a review, which she disclosed at the NCC-organised National Telecommunications Policy Review Workshop.

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The review has become necessary due to the dynamic nature of the Information and Communications Technology sector, where the economy, tech ecosystem, security realities, and citizens' expectations have undergone significant changes over the past two decades, according to Usman.

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Telecommunications has evolved beyond voice connectivity to support financial technology, digital commerce, education, healthcare, innovation, public service delivery, agriculture, and national security coordination, she noted.

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Usman stated that a policy that was fit for purpose in the year 2000 cannot be assumed to remain adequate in 2026, highlighting the need for an updated policy framework.

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Poorly-coordinated policies, arising from unclear, fragmented, outdated laws, often weaken implementation, create institutional overlaps, discourage investment, and reduce measurable national impact, she warned.

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For Usman, policies must be treated as frameworks that provide direction to regulators, confidence to investors, and clear expectations to citizens, rather than mere government documents.

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When policy lacks clarity, implementation becomes inconsistent, responsibilities overlap, resources are poorly targeted, and public institutions struggle to achieve measurable development outcomes, she argued.

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Usman advised that the revised policy must address key issues such as broadband penetration, affordability of digital access, quality of service, consumer protection, infrastructure resilience, and inclusion of underserved communities.

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She also stressed the need for stronger collaboration among federal institutions, state governments, local authorities, investors, regulators, operators, and infrastructure providers to accelerate sector-wide growth.

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Usman warned against approaching the review of the telecommunications policy as merely a regulatory exercise, rather than a broader national development assignment tied to economic reform objectives.

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The government is increasingly focused on strengthening the link between policy formulation, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and measurable delivery across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, she said.

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The proposed National Public Policy Development and Management Framework is coming at the right time to address those gaps through standardized processes, implementation planning, periodic evaluation, and evidence-based governance systems.

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Earlier, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Aminu Maida, noted that the telecommunications market had outgrown the assumptions behind the National Telecommunications Policy 2000, which was introduced when Nigeria's priority was liberalization, increased access, competition, and private sector participation in telecommunications services.

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Maida said the sector has since evolved from basic connectivity into a major digital ecosystem supporting banking, commerce, education, entertainment, cloud services, digital identity, and government operations.

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The industry has also moved into a new era shaped by advanced technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite broadband, cloud infrastructure, Internet of Things, and cybersecurity regulation, according to Maida.

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Maida described the telecommunications sector as a productivity infrastructure for the entire economy, stating that it is no longer a narrow telecommunications conversation.

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He noted that the review of the telecommunications policy was necessary to preserve competition, universal access, consumer protection, and independent regulation while supporting innovation and investment.

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The revised framework must also address long-standing structural challenges including fibre cuts, vandalism, high energy costs, multiple taxation, permitting delays, and rural connectivity gaps, Maida said.

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Those challenges have become national development concerns because they affect the quality, resilience, and reach of digital services across the economy, according to Maida.

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The NCC boss said the workshop was designed to review implementation of the existing policy, identify gaps, engage stakeholders on reform proposals, and develop recommendations for a new National Telecommunications Policy 2026.

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Maida stated that the commission aimed to develop a modern policy framework capable of supporting innovation, protecting consumers, improving quality of experience, strengthening investment, and advancing Nigeria's digital economy ambitions.

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He urged stakeholders to approach the review process with openness, innovation, and a shared commitment toward strengthening Nigeria's position as a leading digital economy in Africa.