The framework mandates that all international A2P messages pass through NCC-approved channels to ensure compliance and improve quality of service. The NCC noted that the widespread misuse of SMS for spam and fraud poses serious risks to users and leads to revenue leakages due to untracked international traffic.

By tightening oversight, the Commission aims to protect consumers from unsolicited messages and guarantee local telecom operators receive fair revenue from international traffic. A2P providers must also meet data protection standards, share regular reports, and avoid using grey routes. The framework forms part of Nigeria’s broader push for digital sovereignty and stronger cybersecurity.

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Affected services include new SIM activations, SIM swaps, SIM replacements, and number portability. The suspension took effect this week and applies to all mobile network operators, following an industry-wide directive to support the NIMC’s system migration.

The NIMC says the temporary halt is necessary to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s digital identity system and to streamline the integration between national identity numbers (NINs) and telecom subscribers’ SIM registration data.

The upgrade is part of broader efforts to curb identity fraud, SIM-related financial crimes, and the misuse of multiple unverified SIM cards that often complicate criminal investigations.

While no firm timeline has been given for when full services will resume, telecom operators have assured subscribers that normal voice, data, and SMS services remain unaffected.

Customers are being urged to stay patient as the upgrade is expected to deliver more secure, reliable identity verification processes once completed.

Consumer protection groups have called on operators and the NIMC to communicate clear updates, especially for customers in rural areas who often rely heavily on agent-assisted SIM services.

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A few months ago, Mr. Y lost his mobile phone and, with it, his SIM card. At first, it seemed like a minor inconvenience. But months later, he discovered he could no longer access his WhatsApp, Facebook, or email accounts. Unbeknownst to him, his former phone number had been reassigned to another user who inadvertently gained access to these platforms through SMS-based verifications.

What began as a lost SIM had quietly escalated into a full-blown identity breach, locking Mr. Y out of his digital life. This isn’t an isolated incident. In Nigeria’s increasingly connected world, SIM cards are no longer just tools for making calls or sending texts; they’ve become digital lifelines. From banking and messaging to authentication and national identity systems, the average phone number now holds the keys to a person’s digital footprint. Yet, telecom operators continue to recycle inactive SIM cards, deactivating and reassigning them without adequately warning users or severing previous digital connections.

As mobile fraud surges and critical services rely heavily on phone-based verification, SIM recycling has become a dangerous and often invisible gateway to identity theft, impersonation, and significant financial loss.

SIM recycling refers to the practice by mobile network operators (MNOs) of deactivating and reassigning numbers that remain unused for a specified period, typically 180 days. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) sanctions this practice to manage the country’s limited pool of mobile numbers.

Once a line is deemed dormant, it is recycled and issued to a new subscriber, with no obligation to inform or protect the previous owner. Telecom providers defend this policy as a necessity. With over 200 million citizens and millions of new mobile connections registered annually, the recycling of dormant lines is seen as a way to maintain network efficiency and subscriber growth. Inactive numbers, from their perspective, represent missed revenue and unused infrastructure.

However, what telcos view as business optimization comes at a significant cost to users who are kept in the dark about the true implications of number loss. Unfortunately, many subscribers are unaware that losing access to a SIM could mean far more than just missing calls; it could mean losing control over their entire digital identity. Phone numbers are now deeply embedded in the architecture of social media platforms, mobile banking apps, email services, and government databases. Without proper warnings or offboarding procedures, telcos are handing over live credentials to new users, often with full access to their predecessors’ sensitive information.

The risks of SIM recycling go far beyond inconvenience. One of the most immediate threats is OTP (One-Time Password) interception. Most Nigerian banks and digital platforms rely on SMS-based OTPs for verifying logins and authorizing transactions. If a recycled number still receives these codes, the new owner could unknowingly or maliciously gain access to the former user’s private accounts.

WhatsApp hijacking is another major concern. Because WhatsApp automatically links accounts to phone numbers, inserting a recycled SIM into a phone can instantly trigger account access. Unless the original user had enabled two-factor authentication, the app may sync messages, contacts, and backups to the new device, exposing private data. The banking sector is especially vulnerable as well.

Recycled numbers can be exploited to reset mobile banking credentials, receive transaction alerts, or gain access through USSD codes. Fraudsters have been known to deliberately acquire secondhand SIMs, hunting for any links to dormant accounts. Victims often only discover the breach when money disappears or when their accounts are frozen due to suspicious activity. Social media platforms and email services are not exempt. They frequently use mobile numbers as recovery methods, sending password reset codes via SMS. Once a number is recycled, a new user could receive these codes, gaining unauthorized access to someone else’s Facebook, Instagram, or Gmail account. For influencers, entrepreneurs, or professionals, this isn’t just a privacy issue; it’s a threat to business, reputation, and livelihood.

The dangers of SIM recycling first gained widespread national attention in 2020, when Mr. Anthony Okolie, a trader in Delta State, was detained for ten weeks by the Department of State Services (DSS). He had unknowingly activated a SIM card previously assigned to Hanan Buhari, daughter of Nigeria’s former president. Though he had no criminal intent, Mr. Okolie was swept into a national security investigation simply because of a recycled number. The case, which ignited public outrage, pushed the NCC to finally clarify its SIM reassignment policy.

However, that response exposed a deeper problem: regulatory inertia masked as reform. Instead of proactively alerting the public or creating safeguards, the NCC’s policy clarification came only after a political embarrassment. It was damage control, not foresight. And like many policies in Nigeria, it came too late for the person it affected most. Since then, similar incidents have continued across the country. In Ilorin, an anonymous source revealed that he routinely receives bank alerts and birthday messages intended for someone else, linked to a number reassigned to him. At least three others have reported the same. Just last week, a new SIM buyer tried to open a Facebook account, only to find it was still tied to a previous owner. With no extra verification, he accessed chats, contacts, and even private photos. These aren’t isolated cases; they’re signals of a systemic failure.

This growing crisis is shared by several players. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as regulator, falls short. While it permits SIM recycling under its guidelines, its rules are vague and insufficient. There’s no mandated grace period, no public registry of recycled numbers, and no obligation to ensure previous digital ties are severed before reassignment. This regulatory blind spot has left millions of Nigerians vulnerable, often without their knowledge. Also, Telecom providers, including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, reassign dormant numbers with little concern for the lingering digital trails attached. Despite profiting from reissued lines, they rarely notify former users or enforce security buffers that could mitigate risk.

To protect users and build a truly secure digital economy, immediate action is required from all stakeholders. First, telecom operators must prioritize timely and direct communication. Before deactivating any inactive number, telcos should make multiple attempts to notify the original owner via SMS, email, alternate contact numbers, or even national identity records. Once notification has been served, there should be a mandatory “cooling-off” period, ideally 90 days. During this window, sensitive messages like OTPs and recovery codes should be blocked, allowing the previous user adequate time to delink their digital accounts and reclaim the number if desired. This approach ensures both transparency and security in the reassignment process.

On the policy front, the NCC must step up. It should establish a centralized database or API service that banks and digital platforms can use to check whether a number has been recently recycled. Additionally, a regulatory audit trail that logs number ownership history, akin to SIM-NIN tracking, would provide crucial transparency and prevent avoidable breaches. Furthermore, platform providers must diversify their security protocols. Phone numbers should no longer serve as the default recovery or identity tool. Platforms should implement multi-factor authentication, support authentication apps like Google Authenticator, and require users to confirm identity with more than just a mobile line.

Finally, public education campaigns, led jointly by government, telcos, and civil society, are essential to inform users about the risks of losing a SIM and the immediate steps to take afterward.

If Nigeria is serious about building a secure digital economy, it must start by protecting the very thing that connects us all: our numbers. Until that happens, the SIM card you lost last year might still be out there, living a life you no longer control.

Shuaib S. Agaka, a tech journalist, writes from Kano State.

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Nigerian telecom operators are intensifying discussions to explore innovative solutions, including renewable energy sources and satellite technology, to mitigate the escalating operational costs that have plagued the sector.

Telecom industry insiders, who spoke during the weekend at the Nairametrics Industry Spotlight webinar, themed “Beyond Connectivity: Telcos and the Future of Financial Inclusion in Nigeria” made this disclosure.

The Senior Manager of Growth and New Business Tech Platforms at MTN, Chukwuebuka Ezewuzie, said aside from foreign exchange crises, money spent on diesel-powered infrastructure gulped a large chunk of telcos’ operating costs.

“A lot of advancement is going on at the moment in adopting renewable energy because the infrastructure running on diesel and petrol is massively expensive. So, how are we going to use the free energy from the sun and the wind to power this equipment to reduce cost? This is one of the key areas that the telcos are currently exploring,” he asserted.

Telecom infrastructure, such as base stations, data centres, relay stations, and transmission equipment, rely on diesel generators for power, leading to substantial operational costs.

In 2023, telecommunications companies spent about N429.43bn on fuelling those base stations, a 34.57 per cent increase from the N319.11bn spent in 2022, according to analysis from the National Bureau of Statistics.

Currently, the average price of diesel in Nigeria stands at N1,379 per litre, with significant variations across states.

Telecom operators have estimated their diesel consumption to be about 40 million litres per month to power their sites.

According to a McKinsey report, telcos could save between 15 per cent and 30 per cent on energy costs annually by switching to solar power, depending on their current energy management practices and the extent of solar integration.

Ezewuzie revealed that telcos were also evaluating satellite technology as a viable alternative to expensive fibre optic deployments.

He said given the high costs associated with laying fibre, satellite coverage could provide a cost-effective solution for expanding network reach.

Ezewuzie disclosed that MTN, Nigeria’s biggest with almost 80m subscribers, had initiated conversations with Elon Musk’s Starlink to assess how the technology could be integrated into its existing networks.

The former Chief Financial Officer of 9mobile, Nkem Oni-Egboma, underscored the importance of innovative approaches in reducing energy consumption in the sector.

“Reducing energy consumption is crucial for the sustainability of telecom operations,” Oni-Egboma stated. “Data centers and media gateways are optimising their operations to reduce costs, which in turn, makes their products and services more affordable for consumers.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centre, Dr Ayotunde Coker, said the sector was dealing with high input costs due to inflation, an inability to adjust prices, and the knock-on effect of the cost of living crisis.

According to Coker, to navigate those challenges, telcos should focus on creativity in value-added services, targeted offerings for specific segments, recognising affordability disparities, and graduated products and services.

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to simplify their tariff plans, bundles, and promotional activities, aiming to provide clearer and more accurate information on the cost of voice, SMS, and data services to subscribers.

The directive, titled “Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector,” was issued recently.

According to the directive signed by Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at the NCC, It mandates Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to publish a comprehensive table detailing the features of their tariff plans and bundle offers, enabling consumers to make informed decisions.

According to the NCC, the tables must include vital information such as add-ons, pricing, opt-in and opt-out procedures, terms and conditions for renewal, and rollover policies.

This move follows consultations with industry stakeholders, including MNOs and Consumer Focus Groups, as well as extensive data analysis on consumer preferences.

The simplification guidelines aim to reduce the complexity of tariff plans and bundles, ensuring transparency and fairness in promotional elements.

The directive also seeks to protect consumer interests by providing clear and understandable tariff information and to promote fair competition among licensees by standardizing tariff structures.

Service providers are also required to display all relevant information about their tariffs, including plan names, prices, validity periods, price-per-second for on and off-network and international calls, expected data speeds, and fair usage policies.

“Operators can maintain existing bonus-led tariff plans until December 31, 2024, within which period they are expected to educate and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans,” the directive stated.

Additionally, the NCC guidelines require that tariffs be communicated to subscribers in “clear language and a user-friendly format,” with full disclosure of a subscriber’s tariff plan via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).

The directive also emphasizes that operators must offer stand-alone data bundles at fair prices, eliminate access fees and asymmetric fee structures, and ensure that bonuses on promotions are stated in actual value.

The NCC has warned that while operators comply with these new guidelines, they must also continue to meet the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) standards set out in the Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations.

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TECHDIGEST – The telecommunications landscape is bracing for possible adjustments in service costs due to mounting energy expenses.

The cost of fueling communication networks is projected to surge to N38 billion in August, prompted by a spike in diesel prices to N950 per liter.

Recent reports from oil marketers indicate that the cost of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) will escalate to a range of N900 to N950 due to ongoing foreign exchange challenges and the recent imposition of a 7.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on the commodity.

Before the introduction of VAT on diesel, it was sold at N650 per liter, according to the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria.

Benneth Korie, President of NOGASA, voiced concerns over the diesel price surge, stating, “Diesel prices are now approaching N900 to N950 per liter, depending on the source.

This increase is attributed to the scarcity of dollars. It’s imperative for authorities to address this issue, as it poses potential negative impacts.

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“The telecom industry, reliant on numerous base stations, is a significant diesel consumer in the nation, utilizing approximately 40 million liters per month to power its communication sites.

“At the close of 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission reported 127,294 base stations across Nigeria. Industry experts reveal that each station operates two diesel-powered generators.

“The diesel price rise to N900–N950 per liter implies that operational expenses for operators will surge to between N36 billion and N38 billion monthly, which may influence telecom service costs.”

Operators have repeatedly expressed concerns about diesel’s high cost affecting their services.In the recent ‘State of the Industry’ report, the Nigerian Communications Commission unveiled a 21.64 percent surge in telecom operators’ operational costs in 2022, reaching N2.09 trillion from N1.72 trillion in 2021.

In 2022, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria requested a tariff increase from the NCC due to a 40 percent rise in business expenses. Energy costs played a pivotal role, contributing to a 35 percent growth in operating expenses.

By April 2023, Gbolahan Awonuga, Head of Operations at ÀLTON, affirmed that the rising diesel expenses were affecting telecom operations.

He emphasized, “Power is a critical factor that influences every aspect. While other economic factors have driven up costs, telecom tariffs remain unchanged.

“This creates challenges as revenue drops and input prices shift, yet tariffs remain static.

“Telecom experts continue to voice concerns that soaring input costs jeopardize the sector’s sustainability.”

Gbenga Adebayo, President of ALTON, explained, “To ensure the viability of our industry, prices must reflect production costs. It’s logical that we revise rates after consulting stakeholders, considering the current input costs.”

Adebayo emphasized the link between input cost fluctuations and price adjustments, underscoring the need for sustainable pricing in line with production realities.

He noted that regulators are being kept informed of essential details to facilitate informed decisions.

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TECHDIGEST – Mobile subscriptions have dropped by 6.1 million mobile subscriptions in the second quarter of 2023.

This is as MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa declared a loss of N485.69 billion in the same period.

According to data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission, the total number of mobile subscriptions in the country fell to 219.77 million as of the end of June 2023, from 225.82 million at the end of December 2022.

MTN Nigeria, Airtel Africa, Globacom, and 9mobile recorded mixed fortunes during the quarter.

MTN (84.66 million), while still retaining its spot as the largest telco, lost 6.89 million mobile subscriptions in the quarter under review. Airtel lost 137,828 subscriptions to close the quarter with 60.19 million.

Glo and 9mobile both gained subscriptions, as the former’s subscriptions grew by 533,582 to 61.33 million as of the end of March 2023, while 9mobile’s subscription base increased by 437,823 to 13.58 million.

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Also, teledensity, the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living within an area, continued its free fall and declined to 115.30 per cent in the second quarter from 118.48 per cent in the first quarter.

The decline in mobile subscriptions has been blamed on the impact of the country’s economic crisis, naira scarcity, and the decline in purchasing power.

In MTN’s first quarter report, the Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, said, “We continued to experience headwinds in our operating environment in the first quarter of 2023.

“The impacts of the ongoing global macroeconomic and geopolitical developments on energy, food, and general inflation were exacerbated locally by petrol and cash shortages experienced during the period. This placed additional pressure on economic activity, consumers, and businesses.”

In Q2, 2023, MTN stated that increasing the minimum age requirement from 16 to 18, following a new NCC directive, affected its active subscriber base.

It stated, “In Q2, we implemented the minimum age requirement for SIM registration from 16 to 18 years, which impacted the run rate of gross connections and active data subscribers in the quarter.”

Meanwhile, MTN and Airtel had stated, in their second quarter/half-year reports, that they lost N485.69bn to the recent fall in the naira’s value.

They said the steep devaluation of the naira following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s attempt to close the gap between the official and parallel rates of the naira had negatively impacted their businesses.

The value of the naira has taken a beating since the Central Bank of Nigeria directed banks to remove the rate cap on the naira at the official Investors’ and Exporters’ Window of the foreign exchange market.

The CBN said, “The Central Bank of Nigeria wishes to inform all authorised dealers and the general public of the following immediate changes to operations in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market: Abolishment of segmentation. All segments are now collapsed into the Investors and Exporters Window.”

This was done to allow for a free float of the local currency against the dollar and other global currencies.

On June 14, when the apex bank made the announcement, the naira closed trading at 664.04/dollar on the I&E window from 471/dollar the previous day. Since then, the naira has fluctuated heavily, trading consistently above N700/dollar.

According to MTN, there was a 60 per cent movement in the exchange rate, which led to a N131.50bn forex loss for the firm.

MTN said, “Net finance costs increased by 164.3 per cent due to increased borrowings and an unrealised forex loss of N131.5bn (H1 2022: N13.6bn) on our net foreign currency liabilities following the significant devaluation of the naira.

“Overall, profit after tax (excluding non-controlling interest) declined by 29.3 per cent but would have been up by 13.4 per cent excluding the forex loss.”

The firm noted that it expects to be further impacted by the second half of the year. It said, “These policy reforms are expected to be positive for the economy in the medium to long term.

“However, in the short term, they have created additional financial burdens on consumers and businesses, and these will be fully reflected in the pressures on our margins in H2.”

Airtel declared N354.19bn ($471m) in forex loss and a loss of $151m too.

Commenting on its loss, Airtel said, “Profit after tax was negative ($151m) driven largely by a foreign exchange loss of $471m recorded in finance cost before tax and $317m after tax because of the devaluation of the Nigerian naira in the month of June 2023.

Punch

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TECHDIGEST – Some 22 telecommunications operators have completed 3G shutdown as 41 others have scheduled dismantling of the technology in 2030.

Captured by GSMA Intelligence’s Spectrum Navigator, it noted that the majority of these operators are largely Europe based.

GSMA Senior Director and Head of Data Acquisition, Radhika Gupta, noted that many players in Europe are switching-off 3G rather than 2G due to a perceived low impact on customer experience, and the fact that many public services such as utilities and emergency networks still used the previous generation.

Potential issues faced by operators ending 3G, Gupta added, include barriers to customer upgrades such as lack of appropriate handsets or coverage issues; costs associated with sunsetting and upgrading existing kit and being under-prepared in offering local and international VoLTE as an alternative.

When quizzed by Mobile World Live (MWL) about the drivers and challenges for shutting down 3G, some of Europe’s major providers highlighted energy saving and reuse of resources, while also underlining the importance of support for vulnerable customers to ensure nobody is cut off.

According to the Intelligence, one company to have already discontinued 3G is Deutsche Telekom. Speaking to MWL, the operator’s programme manager for the project Axel Burkart cited the primary driver as making optimal use of its spectrum assets.

“In general, modern technologies, such as LTE or 5G, offer enormous advantages over the older 3G/UMTS network. They are many times faster and can supply significantly more customers at the same time.”

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Chief networks officer of UK operator BT, Greg McCall, noted alongside the ability to reuse spectrum, its nationwide 3G network was still consuming a lot of energy despite falling usage.

“3G data use has fallen to record low levels and now accounts for less than 0.6 per cent of all downloaded data on the EE network and just 7 per cent of all voice traffic,” he estimated, highlighting the latter represented a 73 per cent decrease since January 2020.

“Despite its falling usage, 3G accounts for up to 35 per cent of the total power used in our mobile network. Switching it off will save the equivalent of the energy needed to fully charge four billion smartphones,” McCall added.

The operator plans to begin the nationwide sunset early in 2024 but is planning a localised pilot in the English town of Warrington in the coming weeks to inform its wider move.

A representative for Orange told MWL it is “convinced it is not sustainable to continue stacking multiple generations of mobile technologies. The 2G/3G switch-off is a transformation journey, initiated by all telco operators in the world.”

It plans to end the service in its first market of Slovakia later this year, followed by Poland and Belgium. Along with these markets, completion of sunsetting in Luxembourg, Romania and Spain is expected by end-2025 at the latest.

In France, it is switching off 2G first (from 2025) then 3G from 2028 due to the latter having superior coverage in the country. This order, Orange noted, is being replicated by others in its home market.

While South Africa has announced that it would switch off its 2G network in mid-2024 and 3G by March of 2025, the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mohammed Rufai, had in an interview told The Guardian that the telecoms giant is not in a rush to shut down the 2G and 3G following deployment of its 5G network.

Rufai disclosed that MTN will continue to invest in 3G technology because many Nigerians are yet to upgrade their devices to use 4G or 5G.

He said some of its subscribers are still on 2G and 3G devices and the telco would not want to cut any of them off by shutting down the old technologies, added that the 3G spectrum can also be converted to provide 4G and 5G service when 3G is shut down in the future.

He revealed that 90 per cent of Nigeria’s population has 2G technology, while over 83 per cent of the population has 3G coverage, and 4G coverage has reached over 79 percent of Nigerians and it is still growing.

“Each subscriber has their own needs. Some only need 3G; some subscribers will move to 4G. Even though there are significant benefits to moving to higher technology in terms of speed and latency, we try to cater to the needs of everyone. So, devices are one of the main factors in moving to higher technology, and we’re moving quickly.

“So, while we are investing in new technology, we must also maintain the other technologies that are needed by the people that use them and the people that don’t yet have the devices for the newer technologies.

“This is the reason why we are still investing in and expanding on the old technologies, and also because the spectrum, the license allocated by NCC, and the network resources that are used for 3G can also be used on other technologies in the future, so the investment is still usable for the higher technologies when the devices are ready.”

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TECHDIGEST – Electronic-related financial crime is gaining massive ground in the country. Some reports have revealed that the menace have cost Nigerians over N25.5 billion in just four years.

Breaking it down, a non -governmental organisation, the Anti-Corruption Agencies of Nigeria, said each Nigerian loses the equivalent of N35,000 yearly on financial crimes.

It aggregated the loss to amount $18 billion when spread across illicit Financial Crimes like bribery, Internet fraud and non-payment of taxes.

However, the issue has become so worrisome in the Information and Communications Technology, ICT sector, that the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC can no longer have any of it.

At the weekend, during the Second Quarter Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) in Lagos, the commission appeared to hold the telecom operators partly responsible, subtly warning them to improve on their networks’ security architecture or take the blame for the risk and threat posed by the rising menace.

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NCC believes that if the telcos improve on the security architecture of their networks, unwarranted access of such crimes will be effectively blocked.

The commission said unequivocally that it was no longer comfortable with the way Nigerians lose their hard-earned money to fraudsters, who take advantage of the vulnerabilities on their network platforms.

But in a swift response, the umbrella body of the telcos, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria, ALTON, differed with the commission.

The association did not agree that the network architecture of the telcos has anything to do with the rising menace considering the huge investments operators have made over time in advancing their networks.

Executive Secretary of the association, Mr Gbolahan Awonuga, used the opportunity of a panel discussion on a paper titled: “Combating e-fraud in telecom platforms: Building consumer confidence in the digital economy” to push back the narrative which tends to heap the blame on the doorstep of the telcos.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency has disclosed that the agency does not seek to regulate telecoms business, but regulate Information Technology for development.

This disclosure was made by the spokesperson, NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar, who further explained that as a result, telecommunications operators would be excluded from the NITDA Bill currently being debated at the National Assembly.

Umar better clarified this position in an interview with The PUNCH while reacting to the telecommunications operators’ agitation, seeking exclusion from the regulation under the planned NITDA Bill.

The NITDA bill seeks to introduce a licensing regime for operators in the Information Technology Industry and Digital Economy. The Bill empowers the Agency to issue regulations that provide for licensing and authorisation criteria, including renewal, suspension, and revocation conditions to promote free market operation and competition, among other things within the sector, Deal Solicitor explained.

Under the proposed regime, the Agency will register operators in the Information Technology Industry and Digital Economy, and publish such a register.

She disclosed that NITDA only regulates information technology for development and does not intend to regulate telecommunications operators.

Umar said, “NITDA does not seek to regulate telecoms business, rather, we regulate Information Technology for development. The only place in the Bill that involves telcos is the payment of the National Information Technology Development Fund. Our Head of Legal and Board matters, Barr. Emmanuel Edet has confirmed that they will be excluded.”

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