By Ismail Auwal
Stakeholders in the telecoms industry have stated that the proposed draft Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) bill will create structural and regulatory conflicts within the industry in Nigeria.
The stakeholders while explaining the reasons for rejecting the Draft Bill said it will bring retrogression to the sector if passed into law.
According to them, they totally rejected the notion of creating a “regulator of regulators.”
Yet the most worrisome impact of the Draft Bill is its immense potentials to jeopardise the vibrant communications sector by creating uncertainty and drawing a grey map of applicability.
“This will not only jolt investors and distort the market structure, but can lead to multiple regulatory oversight and lack of coordination in managing the Sector. Therefore, the impact is far reaching and fundamental to market sustenance and deepening the gains of the sector that has twice driven Nigeria out of recession in the last six years.”
They said there was a need to reconsider the Draft Bill as the matters it seek to legislate on are already being regulated by the NCC as the sole and exclusive regulator of communications services in Nigeria and this approach has midwifed the country from liberalisa.
