Nigeria suspends new internet platform regulations pending policy review

Nigeria's Federal Government has halted the enforcement of new regulations impacting internet platforms, online intermediaries, and other digital economy issues. This suspension is in effect while a comprehensive national policy review is completed. The directive was issued by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, following a strategic meeting with heads of key regulatory agencies.

Tijani stated that the decision aims to maintain the current regulatory landscape while a harmonized national policy and governance framework for the digital economy is developed. He explained that the rapid growth of the digital sector has led to overlapping responsibilities among regulators, necessitating closer coordination to ensure legal certainty, support investment, foster innovation, and build consumer confidence.

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The existing regulatory status quo shall be maintained with respect to matters relating to Internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting digital economy issues currently undergoing inter-agency policy harmonisation under the Ministry’s coordination.

Agencies have been instructed to defer the implementation or enforcement of any recently issued regulations, codes, guidelines, or directives concerning internet platforms and online intermediaries that fall under the ongoing policy harmonization process. The existing regulatory status quo will be maintained for these matters. However, all other provisions of existing regulations that fall within the express mandates of the agencies under current laws remain operational and enforceable, provided they align with the Minister's policy direction.

To facilitate this process, a Joint Technical Coordination Committee will be established. This committee will comprise representatives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC). Under the Minister's office, the committee will coordinate technical engagements, consult with industry players, civil society, and academia, and ultimately develop recommendations for a unified national policy and governance framework. This framework is intended to clearly define institutional responsibilities and reduce unnecessary regulatory overlap.

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Relevant agencies are to defer the implementation or enforcement of any recently issued regulation, code, guideline, framework, directive or administrative requirement relating to Internet platforms, online intermediaries or other cross-cutting digital economy matters, to the extent that such provisions concern areas currently undergoing policy harmonisation under the Ministry’s coordination.