Lagos, Nigeria — The Federal Government has called for deeper collaboration between regulatory institutions and legal officers across the country in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. This charge was made at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Annual Workshop for State Attorneys-General, which kicked off on Tuesday, July 30, at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
The high-level engagement brought together Attorneys-General from across Nigeria to deliberate on “Building and Driving Synergy in Regulating Communications for the Digital Transformation of Nigeria”—a theme that reflects growing concern over regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructure protection, and policy inconsistencies that hinder the sector’s growth.
Declaring the workshop open, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), emphasized that no sector—especially one as dynamic as communications—can thrive in isolation. He noted that collaboration with legal stakeholders is crucial in addressing evolving challenges in regulation, consumer protection, taxation, and infrastructure deployment.
“This workshop is a significant milestone in our efforts to foster collaboration between the legal community and the regulatory ecosystem driving Nigeria’s digital future,” Dr. Maida stated.
“The communications sector remains a vital enabler of innovation, commerce, governance, and inclusion. To fully unlock its potential, we must confront challenges that cut across legal, regulatory, fiscal, and operational domains.”
He further highlighted the Commission’s current priorities, including:
- Reviewing the Nigerian Communications Act (2003) to reflect contemporary realities;
- Streamlining multiple and inconsistent taxation regimes;
- Eliminating regulatory overlaps across agencies;
- Operationalising the 2024 Executive Order that designates telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
In his keynote address, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef O. Fagbemi, SAN, lauded the NCC’s foresight in convening the workshop and called on Attorneys-General to assume an active role in bridging regulatory gaps.
“Digital transformation is critical to our national development,” Fagbemi said.
“The justice and judicial sectors are critical components in ensuring that the communications industry operates on a solid legal foundation—one that upholds the rule of law, protects consumer rights, and prevents economic sabotage such as infrastructure vandalism and excessive taxation.”
He cited recent sectoral setbacks, including the 2024 Ogun State multiple taxation crisis, which led to temporary suspension of telecom expansion projects, and 2023 Kano State based station Vandalization, both of which had serious implications for connectivity and national development.
WSIS: NCC’s Digital Awareness Programme Wins 2025 Prize for Access to Information and Knowledge
According to Fagbemi, Nigeria currently has over 220 million active voice subscribers and 52% broadband penetration as of Q1 2025—figures that reflect the sector’s importance. Yet, he warned that the sector remains threatened by overlapping levies, inconsistent right-of-way (RoW) policies, and sabotage, especially in conflict-prone areas.
Highlighting examples of best practice, he commended Anambra State’s unified RoW policy, which led to a 38% increase in fibre-optic expansion within six months in 2023, as a model of proactive state-level support.
The Minister proposed concrete strategies to enhance synergy, including:
- Legal and policy harmonization across tiers of government;
- Establishment of a Federal-State Regulatory Coordination Forum;
- Adoption of uniform RoW policies;
- Joint enforcement of infrastructure protection laws;
- Consolidation of digital taxation frameworks.
He charged Attorneys-General to advise their respective governments on policies affecting the digital economy, ensure constitutional backing for enforcement measures, and support dispute resolution mechanisms to avoid litigation delays.
“We must also champion data privacy, cyber security, and digital rights enforcement at the state level,” Fagbemi noted, adding that effective regulation requires a whole-of-government approach.
Dr. Maida reiterated the NCC’s commitment to sustaining the platform as an annual forum for legal-regulatory exchange and joint problem-solving. He stressed that collaborative, forward-looking regulation will remain a cornerstone for sustaining innovation, investment, and inclusion.
The two-day workshop continues with technical sessions on legal reform, taxation harmonization, infrastructure protection, and inter-agency coordination. Stakeholders are expected to develop actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s communications policy landscape..
