The government has ordered the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to suspend new internet-related regulations while it develops a unified digital economy governance framework.
The directive, issued by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy following a meeting chaired by minister Bosun Tijani, aims to create a unified regulatory architecture for internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting digital economy issues.
The move comes as digital platforms, artificial intelligence, telecommunications and online safety issues increasingly overlap, making fragmented oversight more difficult for regulators and creating uncertainty for businesses operating across multiple digital sectors.
Rather than introducing separate agency rules, the government wants a coordinated framework that reduces regulatory overlap, limits compliance uncertainty and provides a single policy direction for technology companies, investors and digital service providers.
Nigeria’s digital economy is currently overseen by multiple agencies with separate mandates, including telecommunications regulation, technology development and data protection. The government said greater coordination is needed as digital services increasingly cut across traditional regulatory boundaries.
The agencies will continue enforcing regulations that fall within their statutory mandates but have been instructed to pause recently introduced rules and frameworks covering areas under harmonisation.
According to the ministry, the exercise is intended to improve policy coordination rather than weaken the legal responsibilities of individual regulators.
Tijani said regulatory coordination is essential to preserving legal certainty while creating an environment that supports innovation, investment and consumer trust.
He added that Nigeria's ambition to build a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030 depends on a clear, predictable and technology-neutral regulatory framework.
To drive the process, the ministry has established a joint committee comprising representatives from the NCC, NITDA and NDPC.
The committee will consult industry stakeholders, academia and other experts before recommending a harmonised national policy and governance framework that defines institutional responsibilities.
The proposed framework is expected to clarify the roles of individual regulators while creating a coordinated approach to issues such as digital platforms, data governance and emerging technologies.
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