FG orders agencies to harmonise rules for internet platforms

Federal Government has directed agencies under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to align their regulation of internet platforms and online intermediaries as it moves to eliminate overlapping rules in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

The directive, announced yesterday by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, requires regulators to maintain the current regulatory arrangement and suspend the implementation of new cross-cutting regulations pending the development of a harmonised national policy and governance framework.

The decision followed a high-level strategic meeting chaired by Tijani with the leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

According to the minister, the rapid evolution of the digital economy has created areas where the statutory responsibilities of the three agencies increasingly overlap, particularly in the regulation of internet platforms, online intermediaries, artificial intelligence, online safety and data governance.

He said greater coordination had become necessary to provide regulatory certainty while promoting investment, innovation and consumer confidence.

Under the directive, the ministry ordered the agencies to defer the implementation or enforcement of any recently issued regulation, code, guideline, framework, directive or administrative requirement relating to internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting digital economy matters where such issues are currently undergoing policy harmonisation.

The ministry, however, stressed that the directive does not diminish the statutory responsibilities of any of the agencies.