Wednesday, June 8, 2026 - The Federal Government has suspended the implementation and enforcement of new regulations affecting internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting digital economy issues pending the development of a harmonised national policy framework.
The directive was issued by the Minister of Communications,
Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, following a strategic meeting
with the leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission, National
Information Technology Development Agency and the Nigeria Data Protection
Commission.
According to a statement released on Tuesday, July 7, the
agencies have been instructed to maintain the current regulatory framework
while policy harmonisation is underway. This means the implementation or
enforcement of recently introduced regulations, guidelines, codes, directives
and administrative requirements relating to internet platforms and other
digital economy issues will be deferred where they form part of the ongoing
review.
However, the minister clarified that the directive does not
affect the statutory responsibilities of the respective agencies. Existing
regulations that fall within each agency's legal mandate will remain in force,
provided they align with the ministry's policy direction.
Tijani said the rapid convergence of telecommunications,
digital platforms, artificial intelligence, online safety and data governance
has created overlapping regulatory responsibilities, making closer coordination
necessary. He noted that a harmonised approach would provide greater legal
certainty for businesses, encourage investment, promote innovation, strengthen
consumer confidence and enhance Nigeria's competitiveness as Africa's leading
digital economy.
As part of the initiative, the ministry announced the
creation of a joint technical coordination committee comprising representatives
of the NCC, NITDA and NDPC. The committee will oversee stakeholder
consultations and develop recommendations for a unified national policy and
governance framework aimed at clarifying the responsibilities of each
regulator, reducing compliance uncertainty and improving regulatory
coordination.
The ministry stressed that the harmonisation exercise is
intended to improve collaboration among regulators rather than reduce the legal
powers of any of the agencies.
The directive comes less than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate major technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the exploitation of Nigerian media content.
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