Nigeria has been ranked highly in the latest digital transformation readiness report by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), attaining a notable 71% in comparative legal, policy, and governance frameworks.
Analysts say this rating reflects the country’s advanced state of readiness towards G5, the pinnacle of digital transformation preparedness, alongside global leaders such as Germany, Finland, and Singapore.
The report, titled ‘Collaborative Regulation: Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Transformation’, was unveiled on Monday by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.
The presentation took place at the Digital Economy Complex in Mbora, Abuja and was conducted by ITU’s Kagwira Nkonge.
Conducted in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the report positions Nigeria among Africa’s top seven in the BEMECS 5G Readiness Index, signifying its preparedness to implement and utilise mass-market 5G networks.
The report highlights Nigeria’s achievements in regulatory capacity, scoring 91%, with other notable scores including 82% in Market Rules, 81% in Collaborative Governance, 76% in Legal Instruments for ICT/Telecom markets, and 69% in National Digital Agenda Policy.
Currently, Nigeria is rated at G4, just a step below the G5 advanced state.
Dr Tijani praised the ITU and partner agencies for their role in the report’s development and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging these findings to advance regulatory objectives and foster a robust digital economy.
He emphasised the importance of modern regulations and increasing local content in the sector.
He said, “That is what we will continue to do as a government, ensuring that we can put ourselves in a place to have cutting-edge modern regulations in place to ensure that business is done properly in our sector and to ensure that, where possible, increase the local content of the sector as well.
“Fifteen, twenty years ago, NCC was just regulating the telecommunications sector, today, NCC regulates the foundation for which any economy would be prosperous.”
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), welcomed the report’s indicators which he believes will enhance effective regulation, attract more investment, and promote broader digital inclusion.
He stressed that collaborative regulation is crucial for Nigeria’s transition towards effective digital governance and evidence-based policymaking.
The report also includes a case study on collaborative regulation, aimed at assessing and supporting Nigeria’s move towards agile and evidence-based digital governance.
This effort complements existing cross-country benchmarks, offering a detailed analysis of regulatory maturity and digital transformation readiness.
