The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that increased digitisation across key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, transport, and trade could significantly boost the nation's economy. According to the NCC, this digital transformation could add approximately two percentage points to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), create nearly two million jobs, and generate an additional N1.6 trillion in tax revenue by the year 2028.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman's Statement
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, disclosed these projections during a workshop held in Abuja. He attributed the data to the GSM Association (GSMA), a global mobile industry body. Maida emphasized that the review of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 should be approached as an economic development exercise rather than merely a sectoral policy update.
Maida stated: "We must also approach this review as an economic development exercise, not simply a sectoral policy update. The GSMA has estimated that deeper digitalisation across agriculture, manufacturing, transport, trade, and government could add around two percentage points to GDP by 2028, create nearly two million jobs, and generate an additional N1.6 trillion in tax revenue."
Telecommunications as Productivity Infrastructure
Maida highlighted that telecommunications has evolved from being just one sector of the economy to becoming a critical productivity infrastructure for the entire nation. He noted that it supports commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, financial services, education, health, public administration, and the daily productivity of millions of Nigerians.
He explained: "Telecommunications is no longer just one sector within the economy; it is a productivity infrastructure for the entire economy. It supports commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, financial services, education, health, public administration, and the everyday productivity of millions of Nigerians."
Review of National Telecommunications Policy 2000
The workshop was convened specifically to review the National Telecommunications Policy 2000. Maida outlined the objectives of the review, stating that the task is to preserve enduring principles such as competition, universal access, independent regulation, and consumer protection, while developing a modern policy framework that supports broadband expansion, innovation, investment, resilience, quality of experience, and Nigeria's ambition to build a truly inclusive digital economy.
He added: "Our task is to preserve the enduring principles of competition, universal access, independent regulation, and consumer protection, while developing a modern policy framework that supports broadband expansion, innovation, investment, resilience, quality of experience, and Nigeria's ambition to build a truly inclusive digital economy."
Broader Economic Impact
Maida stressed that the policy choices made during the workshop would determine not only the future of the telecommunications industry but also Nigeria's ability to broaden its tax base, improve public service delivery, raise productivity, formalize more businesses, create jobs, and build a more inclusive and resilient economy.
