The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has called on the Nigerian government to harmonize the functions of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to eliminate overlapping regulations in the digital space.
In its report, “Collaborative Regulation: Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Transformation,” which was recently launched in Abuja, the ITU highlights the need for clear delineation of roles between NCC and NITDA, particularly in areas such as policy development, data protection, and content regulation.
The report warns that failure to streamline regulatory roles may lead to forum shopping, duplication of efforts, and conflicting mandates, ultimately hindering the growth of the digital economy.
The ITU said the NITDA Amendment Bill, which is before the National Assembly should clarify the mandate and role.
“The NITDA mandate in policy-making and regulation, i.e., whether it is a standards body, a regulatory authority, or a policy-making institution, is unclear, and stakeholders currently differ on what the role should be,” it said.
“While the Bill seeks to clarify the position of NITDA, it may inadvertently cause conflict between NITDA and other sector regulators including NCC given the NITDA broad mandate in relation to the ‘digital economy,’ and the lack of clarity in the distinction between the IT sector and the ICT sector.
Stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT industry have expressed concerns about the NITDA Amendment Bill, which they see as an attempt to expand NITDA’s powers and create a “super regulator” in the industry.
Experts argue that NITDA’s primary focus should be on developing the ICT sector, promoting business, and creating jobs, rather than assuming regulatory functions already being performed by other agencies.
