Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has cautioned the National Assembly against certain provisions in the proposed National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill, 2025.
The association warned that certain sections of the proposed legislation could create regulatory overlaps and erode investor confidence in the telecommunications sector.
ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, raised concerns yesterday during his presentation at a joint public hearing of the Senate and House Committees on ICT, Cybersecurity, and Digital Economy in Abuja, regarding the National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill.
While commending lawmakers for the initiative to strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, Adebayo warned that certain clauses in the draft bill vest regulatory powers in the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) that currently fall under the statutory mandate of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
According to Adebayo, ALTON, which represents licensed network and infrastructure operators across the country, supports the overall objectives of the bill but urged the National Assembly to ensure that the legislation complements existing sectoral laws instead of overriding them.
Responding, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, stated that the committee would carefully consider ALTON’s submissions during the final drafting process.
ALSO, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has said Nigeria is poised to set a new benchmark for digital transformation in Africa, as President Bola Tinubu prepares to sign the National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill 2025 into law this week.
Spoke at the public hearing, Tijani said that the digital economy had grown from contributing 16 per cent of GDP to 19 per cent, with a target of 21 per cent by 2027.
“We are not pursuing quick fixes. We are investing in deep structural solutions: 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic networks, nearly 4,000 new communication towers, a national data exchange system, and a framework for AI adoption. This is how we build the economy of tomorrow.”
The bill, described by lawmakers as the first of its kind in Africa, provides regulatory clarity for electronic transactions, mandates digitisation of government services, and establishes the backbone for the nation’s e-governance architecture.
