The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy (NTP) 2000, targeting reduced right-of-way (ROW) charges, streamlined taxes, and lower infrastructure deployment costs to drive growth in the telecoms sector.

In a consultation document released on Monday, the NCC invited stakeholders, telecom operators, and the public to contribute to updating the nearly three-decade-old policy framework.

The commission said the review is aimed at tackling persistently high ROW charges, which significantly drove up operators’ costs in 2024, through harmonised fees, faster permitting processes, and the introduction of a broadband-focused policy chapter.

The NCC noted that the initiative builds on its November 2025 review of key regulatory instruments, including licensing and enforcement regulations, as part of broader efforts to remove bottlenecks, reduce operating costs, and support innovation.

Despite continued sector growth, the regulator said high ROW charges have slowed infrastructure rollout and affected service quality, prompting proposals for a new broadband chapter covering ROW harmonisation, protection of critical infrastructure, and a nationwide streamlined permitting process.

Speaking on the exercise, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, represented by Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the review is necessary to keep pace with rapid changes in the communications industry.

The commission added that the existing policy, introduced in 2000 during Nigeria’s transition from a state-controlled to a liberalised telecom market, has been overtaken by technological advances in digital services, broadband applications, and satellite communications.

Other proposed updates include stronger regulation of internet services and digital platforms, improvements to satellite communications frameworks, and measures to address multiple taxation and overlapping regulations burdening operators.