The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has evaluated Nigeria’s progress towards digital transformation, scoring the nation 71% in legal, policy, and governance frameworks essential for achieving G5, an advanced state of readiness for digital transformation. This assessment was unveiled in a report titled “Collaborative Regulation: Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Transformation,” presented by ITU’s Kagwira Nkonge and written in collaboration with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The report, released by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, positions Nigeria among the top seven African nations in the 5G Readiness Index, signifying its preparedness to deploy and adopt mass-market 5G networks.
The ITU’s benchmark for Advanced State of Readiness evaluates countries against four critical areas: national collaborative governance, policy design principles, digital development toolbox, and digital economic policy agenda. Nigeria achieved impressive scores in several categories: 91% in regulatory capacity, 82% in market rules, 81% in collaborative governance, 76% in legal instruments for ICT/telecom markets, and 69% in national digital agenda policy.
Dr. Tijani praised the ITU and its partners for the comprehensive report and affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to utilizing the findings to guide regulatory objectives and policies towards a robust digital economy. He highlighted the NCC’s evolving role, noting, “Fifteen, twenty years ago, NCC was just regulating the telecommunications sector; today, NCC regulates the foundation for which any economy would be prosperous.”
Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, hosted the presentation and underscored the importance of collaborative regulation in supporting Nigeria’s transition towards effective digital governance, evidence-based policymaking, and agile regulation. He emphasized that these measures would attract greater investment and foster innovative models for broader digital inclusion.
The report was presented to a diverse group of stakeholders, including service providers, government agencies, and representatives from multilateral institutions like the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) and the Africa Telecommunications Union (ATU). It complements existing cross-country benchmarks that assess the maturity of telecom regulatory environments towards digital transformation readiness. Currently, Nigeria stands at G4 on the Generations of Regulation framework, aspiring to reach G5.
This evaluation marks a significant step in Nigeria’s journey towards enhanced digital infrastructure and economic stability, setting a path for future growth and innovation in the digital economy.