A recent report by the International Telecommunications Union has placed Nigeria in a favorable position regarding its preparedness for digital transformation, scoring 71 percent.
Conducted in partnership with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, the assessment evaluated countries’ legal, policy, and governance frameworks in pursuit of advanced digital transformation, known as G5.
According to a statement from the Nigeria Communications Commission on Wednesday, the unveiling of the report was carried out by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, in Abuja.
Titled “Collaborative Regulation: Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Transformation,” the report presented a case study proposing a collaborative regulatory review to evaluate and bolster Nigeria’s shift towards collaborative digital governance, data-driven policymaking, and agile regulation in the digital economy.
Nigeria’s ranking positions it among the top seven countries in Africa, alongside global leaders like Germany, Finland, and Singapore.
The report also highlights Nigeria’s strong standing in the BEMECS 5G Readiness Index, signifying its readiness to roll out and embrace widespread 5G networks.
In his remarks at the event, Tijani lauded the ITU and its partners for delivering the report and affirmed the Federal Government’s dedication to leveraging the report to steer its regulatory goals and policy frameworks towards establishing a robust digital economy.
“This is our ongoing commitment as a government, ensuring the establishment of cutting-edge modern regulations to facilitate proper business operations in our sector and to enhance local content within the industry wherever possible,” he expressed.
Tijani pointed out the evolution of NCC over the years in response to the shifting landscape of its role and mandate.
He elaborated, “Fifteen to twenty years ago, NCC’s role was primarily regulating the telecommunications sector; today, it serves as the foundation for any flourishing economy.”
The report was shared with a diverse audience of key industry stakeholders, including service providers, government bodies, representatives from multilateral institutions, the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly, and the Africa Telecommunications Union, among others. Its aim was to complement existing benchmarks analyzing countries’ policy and regulatory environments.
These evaluations, according to the report, align with the framework of generations of regulations that monitor the telecom regulatory maturity towards digital transformation readiness, labelled as the G5 Advanced State of Readiness, a ranking Nigeria currently holds at G4.
“Nigeria’s advanced readiness for digital transformation is gauged against four crucial benchmarks, encompassing national collaborative governance, policy design principles, the digital development toolbox, and the digital economic policy agenda.
“The nation’s performance across these benchmarks is noteworthy, with standout achievements including 91 percent in Regulatory Capacity, 82 percent in Market Rules, 81 percent in collaborative governance, 76 percent in Legal Instruments for ICT/telecom markets, and 69 percent in National Digital Agenda Policy,” the document detailed.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, who oversaw the presentation, welcomed the indicators promoting effective regulation, attracting increased investments, and fostering innovative models for broader digital integration.
He stressed the significance of collaborative regulation in facilitating Nigeria’s transition to effective digital governance, data-driven policymaking, and flexible regulation within the national digital economy.