The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has warned that the proposed National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, 2025, could create regulatory confusion in Nigeria’s ICT sector if not properly aligned with existing laws governing telecommunications and digital services.
ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, expressed the concern while speaking at a public hearing of the Joint National Assembly Committees on ICT, Cybersecurity, and Digital Economy, held on Monday.
According to him, while the association supports the government’s drive to modernize the country’s digital ecosystem, the Bill as currently drafted risks overlapping the mandates of existing regulators, particularly the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Adebayo commended lawmakers for their vision to promote e-governance and establish a framework for emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), but urged for clearer jurisdictional boundaries between regulatory bodies.
He noted that NITDA’s expanded powers under the Bill appear to intersect with NCC’s statutory responsibilities, which could lead to duplication and regulatory uncertainty.
“To avoid duplication, there must be a clear delineation of responsibilities. NITDA should lead on digital policy, e-governance, and standard setting, while the NCC should retain regulatory oversight of telecommunications networks, infrastructure, and digital services,” Adebayo said.
On compliance and oversight, ALTON cautioned against extending certification and liability frameworks to licensed telecom operators already under NCC supervision.
The association suggested that such provisions should primarily apply to public-sector digital platforms rather than private network operators.
Adebayo also raised concerns about provisions in Section 82 of the Bill, which empower ministerial directives over regulatory agencies.
He argued that this could undermine regulatory independence, deter investment, and contradict global standards that separate policymaking from operational regulation.
In its recent report on Nigeria’s digital economy, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) had also raised concerns about the overlapping functions of NITDA and NCC, warning that this causes multiple regulations in the industry.
According to the report, areas of overlapping functions of the two agencies include responsibility in developing sector-specific ICT policies, data protection, and content regulation, among others.
It added that with increasing convergence between telecommunications, IT, and ICTs generally, there is a need for a clear understanding of where the delineation of the roles of NITDA and NCC lies.