The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), Hadiza Bala Usman, has called for a bold, coordinated and implementation-driven approach to reposition Nigeria’s telecommunications sector for the future.
Bala Usman made the call on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the National Telecommunications Policy Review Workshop organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission in Lagos.
Addressing regulators, industry leaders, government officials, private sector operators and development partners, she stressed the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s telecommunications policy framework in line with the country’s broader digital and economic transformation agenda.
Speaking on the workshop theme, “The Imperative of Policy Drivers in Attaining National Objectives and Building Collaboration across Sectors and Segments of Government,” Bala Usman said telecommunications has evolved beyond voice communication into a strategic enabler of economic growth, digital trade, financial inclusion, innovation, healthcare, education, security and public service delivery.
She noted that while the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 played a major role in liberalising the sector and expanding access over the last two decades, Nigeria now requires a more modern and responsive framework capable of addressing emerging realities around broadband expansion, infrastructure protection, affordability, digital inclusion, service quality and new technologies.
According to her, policy effectiveness must go beyond formulation to include implementation, institutional coordination, performance monitoring and accountability.
She also called for deeper collaboration among regulators, telecom operators, government institutions, sub-national authorities and private sector stakeholders to address persistent sectoral challenges, including right-of-way bottlenecks, multiple taxation, infrastructure vandalism, rural connectivity gaps and cybersecurity threats.
The presidential adviser linked the ongoing policy review to the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Eight Presidential Priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing the need for the telecommunications sector to contribute more significantly to job creation, productivity, innovation, investment and improved service delivery.
Bala Usman commended the leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission for convening the workshop and promoting inclusive stakeholder engagement toward developing a practical and future-focused telecommunications policy framework for the country.
She urged stakeholders to ensure the review process produces a practical, implementation-oriented policy capable of delivering long-term national impact and improving the lives of Nigerians.
