Nigeria Halts Overlapping Internet Platform Rules to Build Unified Digital Policy

The move follows concerns about conflicting mandates among Nigerian agencies. In December 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) published a draft Internet Code of Practice. TechCabal reported that the draft appeared to repeat provisions already contained in the 2022 Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms and Internet Intermediaries, issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Such overlaps have contributed to what TechCabal characterised as an increasingly fragmented regulatory landscape. Platforms subject to multiple codes from different agencies can face uncertainty about which requirements apply and how they are enforced. The suspension is intended to address that fragmentation before any new rules take effect.

Coordinating the agencies

The decision came after a high-level meeting chaired by Minister Bosun Tijani, which brought together the leadership of the NCC, NITDA, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. The meeting was convened to coordinate supervision across the digital sector, according to TechCabal.

The ministry framed the harmonisation effort as a means of improving coherence rather than reducing the authority of any single institution. TechCabal reported that the stated objective is not to diminish the statutory mandates of the agencies involved but to ensure more coordinated governance.

For the wider corridor between African and European technology markets, the outcome could matter for investors, platform operators, and data-driven firms weighing regulatory risk in Nigeria. A single, clearer framework covering platforms, AI, online safety, and data protection may lower the cost of compliance for cross-border businesses. The details of the eventual unified policy, and the timeline for its completion, were not specified in the reporting available. Until that framework is finalised, existing rules remain the operative standard while enforcement of the newer, overlapping provisions is on hold.