The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has cautioned the National Assembly against creating overlapping regulatory mandates in the proposed *National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, 2025, warning that such duplication could destabilize Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and discourage investment.
The bill seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for digital governance, cybersecurity, data protection, and electronic transactions across both public and private sectors.
Speaking at a joint public hearing of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on ICT, Cybersecurity, and Digital Economy in Abuja, ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, described the bill as “a bold and visionary step” toward institutionalizing Nigeria’s digital economy.
However, he emphasized that its success would depend on clear role delineation, regulatory coherence, and respect for institutional independence.
“While we commend the intent of this Bill to promote e-governance and digital innovation, we must ensure that it complements, not overrides, existing sectoral laws,” Adebayo said. “There must be a clear delineation between the roles of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to avoid duplication and confusion.”
ALTON noted that several provisions of the Bill assign extensive powers to NITDA—many of which overlap with the statutory responsibilities of the NCC.
Adebayo maintained that the NCC, by law, should continue to regulate telecommunications networks, infrastructure, and digital services, while NITDA should focus on digital policy, e-governance, and standards.
“The NCC has decades of experience managing technical regulation and industry compliance,” he said. “Overlapping mandates will not only cause confusion but also expose operators to multiple, conflicting regulatory demands.”
On the Bill’s provisions related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), ALTON urged lawmakers to align Nigeria’s framework with international best practices. Adebayo proposed that policy formulation be led by NITDA, while technical regulation remains under the NCC’s purview—mirroring successful models in the United Kingdom, India, and the European Union.
“AI regulation must encourage innovation while ensuring accountability,” he added. “This dual structure has proven effective globally and will ensure Nigeria remains competitive in the digital era.”
The telecom operators also raised concerns over proposed certification and liability frameworks for trust service providers, warning that these could impose unnecessary compliance burdens on licensed operators already regulated by the NCC.
Adebayo suggested that such provisions should apply primarily to public-sector digital platforms, not private telecom firms.
ALTON further urged a review of Section 82 of the draft Bill, which empowers the supervising minister to issue directives to regulatory bodies. Adebayo cautioned that excessive ministerial control could undermine regulatory independence, weaken investor confidence, and contradict global governance standards.
“We must separate ministerial policy direction from operational regulation.
“A politically neutral, professionally driven regulatory regime is the foundation of investor trust and market stability,” he said.
To ensure coherence in Nigeria’s digital governance landscape, ALTON proposed embedding a National Digital Cooperation and Interoperability Framework within the Bill.
This, Adebayo explained, would formalise coordination among key agencies such as NITDA, NCC, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Adebayo reaffirmed ALTON’s support for Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, adding that the telecom sector stands ready to partner with the government to deliver a secure, innovative, and inclusive digital economy, but only if the legal framework promotes clarity and collaboration.
“Our position is simple. The Bill should promote harmony, not hierarchy.
“Let every institution perform its role within clearly defined limits. That is the only way to build investor confidence and drive sustainable growth in Nigeria’s digital future,” he said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Hon Abiodun Ishaq Akinlade, said the bill represents a “historic leap” toward positioning Nigeria for the realities of the digital age.
He noted that no nation can afford to lag in digital transformation, describing the bill as fundamental to economic sustainability, national security, and public sector transparency.
“This bill aims to create a strong framework for efficient governance, national security, and public service delivery through technology,” Abbas said.
“It provides support for international digital trade, investment, and builds our capacity for secure digital operations.”
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, commended the legislature for its “visionary and painstaking work” on the bill, describing it as a major step toward unlocking Nigeria’s digital potential.
He revealed that the ICT and digital economy sector, which previously contributed between 16 and 18 percent to the country’s GDP, is now tracking at 19 percent.
The administration, he said, is targeting a 21 percent contribution by the end of President Tinubu’s term.
“This bill will open up opportunities for our private sector to innovate and invest,” the minister said.
“We have chosen the path of building foundational infrastructure and policies that will allow technology to power every aspect of our economy.”
Tijani also disclosed that over 20 million Nigerians remain unconnected to the internet, adding that the government is deploying connectivity infrastructure across nearly 4,000 unserved towns and communities.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru, noted that the bill is not merely text on paper but represents a vision, a framework for how we perceive Nigeria’s role in the digital era.
Akpabio said, “It embodies our ambition to build governance systems that are transparent, efficient, and responsive.
“Where governance was once opaque, it will now become transparent. Where the economy once stumbled, it will now grow stronger.
“The bill seeks to grant legal recognition to digital communications, electronic signatures, and online records.
“It harmonizes our existing laws to provide clarity for the complexities of the modern economy.
“We, the men and women entrusted with the destiny of our people, must act with vigilance and resolve.
“The machinery of progress is not self-operating; it demands leadership.
“I commend the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, and their counterparts in the House of Representatives, for their dedication and unity of purpose.
“We must recognize that digital technologies, while opening gates of opportunity, also create new frontiers of conflict.
“Our responsibility is not to worship technology, but to wield it for the service of humanity, to educate the child in the village, empower the trader in the market, inform the citizen, and uphold the integrity of the state.
“In the 10th National Assembly, we have resolved to leave behind not excuses but evidence, evidence of action, foresight, and commitment to progress.
“We stand today at the crossroads of our nation’s digital destiny. We must choose the path of progress by enacting laws that promote digital growth, protect innovation, and preserve the dignity of every Nigerian who dares to dream in data and technology.
“The time for timidity is gone. The era of isolation is over. Let us move forward in unity and with unshakable resolve.
“Let this moment mark a new covenant between generations, one that ensures Nigeria will not be left behind in the digital revolution.”
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, said the legislation, when passed into law, will be the first in Africa as far as the digital economy and e-governance are concerned.
He said, “The objective of this bill is to provide regulatory clarity for electronic transactions in the country.
“The second objective is to mandate government agencies to digitise their operations and services.
The law, when put in place, will serve as the backbone of the digital economy.”
Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Hon Adedeji Olajide, said the bill, when passed into law, would bring about the digital transformation of the country.
All stakeholders present at the public hearing, like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Communication Satellite (NICOMSAT), Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST), Galaxy Backbone, Office of the Head of Service, etc, supported the proposed legislation.
