• Nigeria will revise its National Telecommunications Policy of 2000 for the first time in nearly 26 years.
• The reform will integrate mobile internet, digital finance, cloud computing, OTT services, 5G, and non-terrestrial networks.
• The ICT sector contributed 7.67% of Nigeria’s GDP in Q3 2025, according to official data.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announced on Monday, February 9, 2026, that it will revise the National Telecommunications Policy (NTP) of 2000, almost 26 years after its last major version. The move marks a turning point for Nigeria’s telecoms sector, which now faces rapidly expanding digital use cases and technologies that did not exist at the time of the original policy.

The existing framework originally aimed to regulate market liberalization and early mobile telephony. However, regulators must now integrate fundamentally different realities, including the rise of mobile internet, digital financial services, cloud computing, and over-the-top (OTT) applications such as streaming and messaging. In addition, the revised policy must address emerging technologies such as 5G and non-terrestrial networks.

“The Commission hereby invites interested stakeholders to submit written comments on the consultation document published for the review of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000. All submissions must reach the Commission no later than Friday, March 20, 2026,” the NCC said.

This initiative comes amid sustained growth in telecoms adoption and the rapid emergence of new technologies. As a result, the review aims to ensure that regulation keeps pace with innovation and provides investors with a stable and predictable framework for infrastructure projects.

In Nigeria, where the telecoms sector has become a key driver of digital inclusion and economic growth, the revised policy could accelerate broadband deployment, strengthen connectivity in underserved areas, and regulate emerging services such as the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile payments, and commercial satellite services.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the ICT sector contributed 7.67% of Nigeria’s GDP in the third quarter of 2025, underscoring the sector’s growing macroeconomic importance.

This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de BERRY QUENUM