Joy Agwunobi
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) have jointly called for stronger collaboration among federal and state actors to address the rising challenges confronting Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
At the heart of the concerns raised is the growing burden of multiple and inconsistent taxation, which stakeholders warn continues to stifle investment and impede digital progress.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the Annual Workshop for State Attorneys-General hosted by the NCC, Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Commission, emphasised that the sector’s sustainability hinges on effective collaboration between regulatory bodies and legal institutions across all levels of government.
Maida highlighted the strategic importance of the telecom industry, noting its role as a key enabler of innovation, commerce, governance, and social inclusion. However, he cautioned that to fully unlock its potential, stakeholders must confront a series of systemic challenges that span regulatory, legal, fiscal, and operational areas.
“No sector, especially one as dynamic and impactful as communications, can be effectively regulated in isolation,” Maida said.
The theme of the workshop, “Building and Driving Synergy in Regulating Communications for the Digital Transformation of Nigeria,” underscores the Commission’s belief in a cooperative approach to regulation. Maida said the current landscape requires legal and institutional alignment to address evolving technological issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) governance, digital resilience, and sustainable connectivity.
He traced the evolution of telecom regulation in Nigeria, noting that while the early 2000s were marked by liberalisation and infrastructural expansion, the focus has since shifted to digital inclusion, financial services, and more recently, high-level issues such as critical infrastructure protection and cross-sector policy coherence.
“This journey has taught us that only collaborative, forward-looking regulation can sustain innovation and drive inclusive digital growth,” Maida added.
Maida stressed the pressing need to streamline the country’s taxation framework for the telecom sector. He warned that the prevalence of overlapping and unpredictable tax regimes not only discourages new investments but also undermines the efficiency of existing operations.
“We must work together to harmonise tax regimes and eliminate disincentives to growth,” he urged.
Maida identified several urgent areas for reform. He pointed to the need for a comprehensive review of the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003 to ensure its relevance in today’s dynamic digital environment. He warned that the current regime of multiple and inconsistent taxes imposed by different arms of government was deterring new investments and undermining existing players in the telecom industry.
He also raised concerns about the lack of coordination among regulators, noting that overlapping mandates create confusion, regulatory friction, and inefficiencies in service delivery. On infrastructure protection, Maida said the 2024 Executive Order signed by President Bola Tinubu, which designates communications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), offers a new collaborative framework that must now be fully operationalised.
Maida further reiterated the NCC’s commitment to working closely with judicial officers and legal stakeholders. He described the workshop as the beginning of what he hoped would become an annual platform for continuous dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaborative problem-solving.
“Attorneys-General are not just chief law officers of their states; they are also policy influencers and key partners in shaping the legal ecosystem that supports national development,” he said.
Reinforcing the NCC’s position, Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation and minister of Justice, called for a unified legal and regulatory framework to safeguard and advance the communications sector.
Fagbemi described the twin issues of excessive taxation and telecom infrastructure vandalism as forms of economic sabotage that threaten national development.
He cited specific incidents, including the 2024 case in Ogun State where MTN was forced to halt its expansion plans due to overlapping local government taxes. In Kano, the 2023 destruction of base stations further illustrated how uncoordinated state actions and insecurity can disrupt service delivery and deter private investment.
“These incidents constitute economic sabotage, negatively impact the development of the communications sector, and hinder digital transformation in the country,” Fagbemi warned.
Fagbemi outlined a range of challenges that have collectively hindered the development of Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure. These include the uncoordinated imposition of levies by federal, state, and local authorities, the wanton destruction of telecom facilities, conflicting regulatory frameworks, and delays in broadband rollout due to inconsistent right-of-way policies across states. According to him, these obstacles have continued to erode the sector’s viability and risk derailing Nigeria’s broader digital transformation efforts.
He described the communications sector as a fundamental driver of innovation, economic inclusion, and national competitiveness. However, he warned that without urgent corrective actions to harmonise policies, strengthen legal protections, and streamline regulatory functions, the country may fail to harness the full potential of digital technologies.
Fagbemi urged a united front from the three arms of government—executive, legislature, and judiciary—towards stabilising the regulatory environment and improving sectoral outcomes. He called on the legislature to review and strengthen existing laws to better protect telecom infrastructure and support investment.
He charged the executive to implement these laws rigorously and proposed that the judiciary must ensure accountability through effective prosecution of vandals and tax offenders. He insisted that telecom infrastructure must be seen and treated as national assets deserving of protection, not exploitation.
To address these issues, the Attorney-General of the Federation recommended several actionable measures. He called for the harmonisation of legal and policy frameworks between federal and state governments to ensure consistency and avoid contradictions in regulatory practices. He also stressed the need for the adoption of a uniform Right-of-Way (RoW) policy that would facilitate the seamless rollout of broadband infrastructure across the country.
In addition, he proposed the establishment of a Federal-State regulatory coordination forum aimed at resolving jurisdictional overlaps and fostering intergovernmental alignment on sectoral oversight. Fagbemi further advocated for the consolidation of digital taxation structures to eliminate duplication and provide clarity and predictability for operators.
Lastly, he urged the creation of joint enforcement mechanisms to protect telecom infrastructure from vandalism and ensure that offenders are swiftly prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law.
“The communications sector is not only a driver of innovation and inclusion, but also a critical pillar of the national economy. Excessive taxation and fragmented oversight can only slow down our digital progress,” he added.
