The Federal Government has directed regulators to maintain the existing regulatory regime for internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting digital economy issues while it develops a harmonised national policy to eliminate regulatory overlap across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.

The directive signals a major policy shift towards a coordinated digital regulatory framework as the convergence of telecommunications, artificial intelligence (AI), online platforms, data governance and online safety increasingly blurs the traditional boundaries between sector regulators.

Issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the directive follows a high-level meeting chaired by Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, with the leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).