LAGOS, Nigeria – The Federal Government of Nigeria approved a request from the Nigerian Communications Commission on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, to review the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
Okay News reports that Nigeria’s Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, announced the approval during a telecommunications policy review workshop in Lagos.
Usman stated the update is necessary because the information and communications technology sector, alongside the economy and security realities, has changed since the law was enacted.
“A policy that was fit for purpose in the year 2000 cannot simply be assumed to remain adequate in 2026,” she said.
She noted that outdated laws discourage investment, create overlapping responsibilities, and weaken institutional implementation.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida, said the national telecommunications market has outgrown the parameters set by the National Telecommunications Policy 2000.
“This is no longer a narrow telecommunications conversation. It is no longer just one sector within the economy; it is a productivity infrastructure for the entire economy,” Maida said.
Maida identified multiple taxation, high energy costs, vandalism, and rural connectivity gaps as the primary structural challenges the revised framework is designed to address.
