Nigeria Communications Act to be reviewed- House of Reps

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Mr. Oyetunde Ojo, has said that members of the House will soon begin the review of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

Ojo, who spoke to journalists on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission in Lagos recently, said the review would commence in the second quarter of 2012.

Reviewing the Communications Act, according to him, has become imperative in view of the current realities in the ICT sector.

He said, “With the issue of ICT convergence, poor quality of service, security for investment and infrastructure among others, the current   Communications Act has clearly outlived its usefulness and the time has come for us as lawmakers to take the bull by the horn and do our job.”

Ojo said the committee attached much importance to the review, adding that it would begin the exercise before the end of April, 2012.

The Communications Act 2003 provides the regulatory framework for the communications industry in Nigeria.

The lawmaker said the proposed review was aimed at synchronising policies for future development of the sector; stating that the National Broadcasting Commission Act 1992, Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1990, the National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007 and other related acts in the nation’s ICT sector would also be reviewed.

Ojo said the review would be carried out simultaneously with the Senate to ensure that the Acts were amended to suit the requirements of modern ICT industry.

He said, “In 2003 the Act was created to empower the regulator to ensure that operators abide by the ethics of the business. Form 2003 till date, it is about nine years, and it cannot work in the present environment.

“For instance, for an Act that says if an operator is found wanting the company pays N100, 000; the Act, of course, is not well guided. Events have passed the Act. Telecoms is something we have to re-plan to meet present challenges.

“The sector is moving at a very high speed. We need to have a strategic plan for probably more than 10 years. For instance, broadband in Nigeria has remained in lower ebb compared to other parts of the world and if you open your Internet facility it takes more than 40 minutes to get connected; whereas in a place like the United Kingdom you get connected on a click.”