In an effort to enhance the ability of stakeholders in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria, the country’s Senate has decided to amend its Communications Act.
This effort falls in line with previous efforts at deregulation of the industry, starting in 1999. The ICT sector in Nigeria has not been spared the effects of the current global economic recession.
Sylvester Anyanwu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communication, said in a statement: “What we can do as government is to give them serious regulatory work. We are in the process of amending our Telecommunication Act, to be able to with stand any problem in that sector. If we have to compare this sector from 1999 to today, there have been remarkable improvements in this sector. Again the Federal government must do more in improving the nation’s power supply, once we can get that right then every other sector will improve.”
The populous country has one of the fastest-growing mobile subscriber bases on the continent, with infrastructure provision lagging behind the wide demand for mobile and other telephony services. The amendments to the Act aim to increase the ability of players in the market to meet this demand, with fewer regulatory requirements.
