ABUJA — The Nigerian government must shift from “assigning blame” to “building solutions” to unlock the full economic potential of the country’s telecommunications sector, a senior official has said.
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, laid out a ten-point roadmap to revamp the nation’s digital infrastructure during a keynote address at a dialogue organized by the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN). Addressing attendees under the conference theme “Upscaling Telecommunication and Data Services for Enhanced Microeconomics and GDP Growth,” Mr. Dare urged regulators, operators, and civil society groups to collaborate rather than point fingers over persistent service delivery challenges.
A 10-Point Charter for Digital Reform
Highlighting telecom and broadband infrastructure as essential enablers of national economic growth, Mr. Dare outlined critical priorities to be considered by stakeholders:
Accelerate Countrywide Broadband Expansion: Focus connectivity drives on underserved and rural communities.
Publish Service Performance Indicators: Encourage regular, transparent reporting of quality-of-service metrics by network operators and regulators.
Boost Consumer Literacy: Strengthen public education around data usage, cybersecurity, and digital skills.
Protect Physical Infrastructure: Step up actions against cable theft and vandalism, which Mr. Dare noted as a “serious” threat that routinely degrades connectivity.
Expand Infrastructure Sharing: Foster expanded co-location and sharing arrangements among network operators.
Drive Next-Gen Investment: Encourage higher investment in fiber optic networks and emerging technologies, including 5G.
Energize Stakeholder Collaboration: Reactivate a structured, multi-stakeholder framework involving government, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), operators, civil society, and consumer advocacy groups.
Balance Affordability and Investment: Drive policies that ensure affordable data prices for citizens while safeguarding sustainable investment for network providers.
Enforce Accountability and Oversight: Maintain vigilant regulation alongside constructive civil society oversight to hold operators accountable.
Commit to Annual Progress Reviews: Institute an annual audit to measure progress against agreed resolutions.
Beyond Assigning Blame
Reflecting on the country’s digital progress, Mr. Dare described Nigeria’s telecommunications journey as one of its most remarkable success stories, but warned that the next phase requires “deeper collaboration, stronger accountability, and more deliberate investment.””Let us move beyond assigning blame. Let’s move on to building solutions,” Mr. Dare said. “Let the consumers in their millions be heard. Let operators also be supported, but held accountable. Let regulators remain very, very vigilant.”
He concluded by calling for a consumer-centric approach to support small businesses, drive innovation, and boost national prosperity, emphasizing that an ambitious, united effort is required to secure Nigeria’s digital future.
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