By John Alechenu
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), have both raised concerns over regulatory overlaps contained in the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, 2025.
ALTON, representing licensed telecom operators, expressed support for the Bill’s vision but raised concerns on regulatory overlap, AI regulation, and ministerial directives.
Chairman of ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said this in a presentation before the Joint National Assembly Committee hearing on the bill in Abuja, on Monday.
Adebayo said, “We commend the sponsors of this Bill for their vision to modernize Nigeria’s
digital ecosystem, promote e-governance, and provide a legal foundation for emerging
technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Our position follows a thorough review of the Bill and focuses on ensuring clarity, coherence, and regulatory harmony.
“While we acknowledge the transformative intent of the proposed law, we must highlight key areas of concern: Regulatory Overlap: The Bill vests broad powers in NITDA that intersect with the statutory mandate of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
“ To avoid duplication, we recommend a clear
delineation—NITDA to lead on digital policy, e-governance, and standard setting; NCC
to retain regulatory oversight on telecommunications networks, infrastructure, and
digital services.”
He also said “The provisions on Artificial intelligence (AI) should reflect international best practice by distinguishing between policy guidance (to be led by NITDA) and technical regulation (to remain under NCC).”
ALTON, also recommended that certification and liability frameworks must not impose additional compliance burdens on licensed telecom operators already regulated by the NCC.
The association equally recommended that these provisions should apply mainly to public-sector digital platforms and not private network operators.
While also supporting the objectives of the bill, the Office of the Head of Service said,”…However, some provisions of the Bill intersect with and in certain instances duplicate statutory mandates already assigned under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended), the Public Service Rules (PSR 2021), the Civil Service Handbook, and the Public Procurement Act (2007).”
The office recommend amendments to preserve OHCSF’s constitutional roles, prevent regulatory duplication, and ensure alignment with established administrative frameworks.
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