The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has invited industry players and other stakeholders to submit written contributions toward the ongoing reassessment of the National Telecommunications Policy (NTP) 2000, as part of efforts to reposition the communications sector for emerging realities.
The regulator said the consultative exercise marks the opening phase of a broader engagement to shape a new policy framework, noting that the process is anchored in its statutory responsibilities under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, explained on Thursday that the initiative follows the activation of Section 24(1) of the Act, which mandates a public consultation before any review or formulation of general policy for the communications industry.
According to the commission, the consultation paper has been published on its website, with Friday, March 20, 2026, set as the deadline for submissions. Contributions can be addressed to the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer or sent via a designated email channel.
The review follows the inauguration by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, of a Ministerial Steering Committee and a Ministerial Technical Committee tasked with reassessing the NTP 2000 in line with his Strategic Blueprint, Accelerating Our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, said the engagement will culminate in the production of a draft National Telecommunications Policy 2026, which will succeed the current framework after 25 years of implementation. He noted that the draft will undergo additional rounds of consultation before final approval.
Highlighting the sector’s transformation, Maida stated, “The NTP 2000 has been instrumental in advancing Nigeria’s telecom sector over the past 25 years,
from just 500,000 lines to nearly 180 million active mobile connections as of December 2026. One of the gaps the revised policy seeks to address is the growing demand for data services and its associated challenges.”
He added, “This is the first step in the consultation process. There will be additional layers of engagement to ensure that the final draft incorporates varied expertise, feedback, and inputs from a cross-section of stakeholders.” Maida emphasized that the exercise is open to licensees, consumers, government agencies, international partners, civil society organizations, and other interested parties.
