Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has called on Attorneys-General across the country to collaborate with the Commission in establishing a comprehensive legal framework that supports Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Addressing participants at the inaugural Annual Workshop for Attorneys-General on Emerging Issues in the Communications Sector, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, Maida stated that the pace of change in the communications industry demands coordinated action between regulators and legal authorities.
Themed “Building and Driving Synergy in Regulating Communications for the Digital Transformation of Nigeria”, the forum aims to foster strategic engagement between the NCC and state legal officers. Maida commended the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for his leadership and participation, describing his support as vital to ensuring coherent policy implementation.
He described the communications industry as a driver of innovation, governance, commerce, and social inclusion. To sustain growth and accountability, he said, the sector requires robust legal frameworks that can respond to its evolving dynamics. He appealed to the Attorneys-General to use their positions as chief legal advisers to promote policies that enhance transparency and operational stability.
Maida reviewed the history of communications regulation in Nigeria, from the liberalisation of the sector in the early 2000s to contemporary concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, and cyber resilience. He maintained that proactive, collaborative regulation is key to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Among the central issues raised at the workshop is the need to update the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003. Maida said the Act must evolve to accommodate current and future technological shifts, particularly those relating to broadband access, data governance, and emerging technologies.
He also drew attention to the burden of multiple and inconsistent taxes on telecommunications providers, describing such practices as disincentives to investment. He called for the harmonisation of tax regimes to encourage sectoral growth and efficiency.
On regulatory overlap, Maida criticised the lack of coordination among certain agencies, which he said contributes to duplication of efforts and confusion. He urged stakeholders to align more effectively to avoid friction in policy implementation.
Referencing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2024 Executive Order that designates communications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNI), Maida stressed the urgency of safeguarding digital assets. He appealed for inter-agency cooperation, especially with the Office of the National Security Adviser, to bring the order into effect.
He described the workshop as a platform for continuous dialogue and practical engagement, expressing hope that it would become a recurring fixture. According to him, such collaboration will help regulatory efforts to keep pace with the challenges of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, ensuring that Nigerians benefit fully from the country’s digital ambitions.
