The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has entrusted the country's mobile network operators and internet service providers with adhering to regulatory frameworks established to ensure the security and safety of their networks for telecom consumers.

The announcement was made at the recently concluded 2023 Nigeria DigitalSense Forum, which focused on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D). There, ICT industry stakeholders reaffirmed the importance of Fifth Generation (5G) services, particularly the constructive use of the internet to improve connectivity, contribute to sustainable socio-economic development and encourage increased access to services through digitalisation.

According to the Executive Vice Chairman Professor Umar Danbatta, with the introduction of new technologies, such as 5G networks, currently being deployed in Nigeria, there is a greater need to pay attention to the issues of privacy, data integrity, and online trust across telecom networks.

The Internet Code of Practice is one of the main new policies that are to be included in and guide the regulatory framework established by the Commission. The framework will cover domains from data privacy, internet providers' obligations, efficiency and licensing standards.

The Commission also highlighted the importance of licensee collaboration with the Commission and the prevention of using their networks for illegal activity, as per the 2003 Nigerian Communications Act (NCA).