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Some telecommunications industry stakeholders have voiced concerns regarding their lack of involvement in the Digital Economy and E-governance Bill thus far.
The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Company of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, told Sunday PUNCH that it had not made an input to the bill.
“We are looking at the draft of the Digital Economy and E-governance Bill, and as an industry, we are going to make our comment known to the parliament.
“We don’t have any conclusive views now. We expect that there will be some consultation at some point during which our decision will be known to the stakeholders,” Adebayo said.
Also, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, told Sunday PUNCH that he had yet to go through the draft and, as such, has no input on the proposed bill.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Digital Economy and E-governance Bill, which passed its first reading in the National Assembly, may override existing regulations governing the telecom sector, further disrupting their operations.
Stakeholders, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH, said the bill, aimed at establishing a legal framework for the country’s digital economy, could supersede laws and regulations governing agencies, such as the Nigerian Communications Commission, the National Broadcasting Commission, and others under the communication ministry.
The proposed bill is being spearheaded by the ambitious Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
The minister sought to transform the country’s digital economy landscape with the new bill and released draft copies of the bill two weeks ago.
