The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has hosted a high-level delegation from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to deepen digital inclusion, advance G5 regulation readiness and strengthen regional initiatives across the African continent.
The visit, led by the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, and the ITU Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Emmanuel Manasseh, marks a significant step in Nigeria’s quest for global regulatory excellence.
During the engagement at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the management and staff reviewed the progress of critical projects within the African region. Key among these are the ongoing and past ITU–FCDO partnerships focused on digital inclusion and the Broadband Mapping Project, a major ITU-supported initiative designed to provide accurate data on Nigeria’s internet infrastructure coverage.
A major highlight of the discussion was Nigeria’s standing in the ITU’s global regulatory rankings. The visit underscored the importance of collaborative regulation, celebrating Nigeria’s current G4 regulatory status—a position reserved for countries with integrated and established regulatory frameworks. The parties also evaluated the country’s readiness for G5 regulation, which represents the gold standard for cross-sectoral digital collaboration.
Beyond current achievements, the meeting served as a strategic platform to explore prospective projects and institutional partnerships. Discussions centered on identifying new areas where the ITU can provide technical and institutional support to the NCC, ensuring that Nigeria remains a leader in the digital transformation of the West African sub-region.
G5 Advanced State of Readiness
It is to recalled, ITU in its Study on Collaborative Regulation in Nigeria, 2023 noted that “Nigeria is at the G5 advanced state of readiness for digital transformation given its holistic approach to digital policy and governance.”
Nigeria received the score in a report written by the ITU and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), which was unveiled by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, in Abuja last two years.
According to the research, Nigeria was ranked among Africa’s top seven on the 5G Readiness Index, which measures the country’s readiness to deploy and use mass-market 5G networks
The features of countries policy and regulatory environment are assessed according to the pillars of the Generations of Regulation frameworks which tracks telecom regulatory maturity towards digital transformation readiness, designated at G5 Advanced State of Readiness”, and for which Nigeria currently stands at G4.
Advanced State of Readiness is benchmarked against four critical levels of accomplishments which include national collaborative governance, policy design principles, digital development toolbox, digital economic policy agenda, with Nigeria scoring 91 per cent in regulatory capacity; 82 per cent in Market Rules; 81 per cent in Collaborative Governance; 76 per cent in Legal Instruments for ICT/Telecom markets; 69 per cent in National Digital Agenda Policy, among other benchmarks.
