NCC Seeks Stronger Collaboration with Attorneys-General to Tackle Communication Sector Challenges

NCC Seeks Stronger Collaboration with Attorneys-General to Tackle Communication Sector Challenges

Lagos, July 30, 2025 — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for deeper collaboration between the legal community and the communications industry to address emerging regulatory, fiscal, and operational challenges in Nigeria’s fast-evolving digital landscape.

Speaking at the opening of the 1st Annual Workshop for Attorneys-General on Emerging Issues in the Communications Sector in Lagos, NCC Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Aminu Maida, described the event as “a significant milestone” in fostering institutional synergy for Nigeria’s digital transformation.

Maida commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef O. Fagbemi, SAN, for attending the workshop, saying his presence underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to policy cohesion.

“The theme of this workshop—Building and Driving Synergy in Regulating Communications for the Digital Transformation of Nigeria—reflects our belief that collaboration is not optional, but essential. No sector, especially one as dynamic and impactful as communications, can be effectively regulated in isolation,” Maida stated.

The NCC boss noted that the communications sector has progressed from market liberalisation in the early 2000s, to broadband expansion and universal access, to consumer protection and digital finance in the 2010s, and is now tackling advanced frontiers such as AI governance, digital resilience, and sustainable connectivity.

He identified four pressing issues requiring coordinated legal action:

Reviewing the Nigerian Communications Act (2003) to ensure it remains relevant in today’s digital economy.

Streamlining taxation to address multiple and inconsistent levies that discourage investment.

Eliminating regulatory overlaps that cause confusion and inefficiency.

Protecting Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), following the 2024 Executive Order by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu designating communications assets as CNII.

Maida stressed that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and high-speed connectivity would bring both complex challenges and new opportunities. “To succeed, we must adopt a Whole-of-Government approach that leverages the strengths of all institutions—federal and state,” he said.

He pledged the NCC’s commitment to working closely with Attorneys-General to align regulations with national development goals, adding that their role extends beyond interpreting the law to shaping an enabling environment where technology and governance reinforce each other.

“This workshop is just the beginning. We hope it will become an annual platform for knowledge exchange, mutual understanding, and joint problem-solving,” Maida concluded.