Nigeria’s telecommunications sector may soon have a common sustainability benchmark as industry stakeholders push for the introduction of a National Telecom Sustainability Index.
The proposed index is designed to measure how telecom operators perform on environmental, social and governance issues, while giving the industry a standard framework for tracking progress.
The proposal was unveiled at the Telecoms and Technology Sustainability Working Group Stakeholder Strategy Breakfast in Abuja, where industry players reviewed a draft sustainability framework for the sector.
The meeting, which focused on “Shaping the Future of Sustainable Telecommunications and Technology in Nigeria: A Shared Vision for 2027–2032,” brought together representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecom and technology companies, sustainability professionals and other stakeholders.
According to TTSWG board member, Chris Uwaje, the proposed framework is intended to take Nigeria’s unique telecommunications realities into account while aligning the sector with international sustainability reporting standards.
The proposed index will be built around five key pillars: Environment and Energy; Digital Inclusion and Affordability; Digital Integrity, Privacy and Consumer Trust; Infrastructure Resilience and Governance; and Supply Chain and Local Value Creation.
For the environment and energy component, operators would be assessed on issues such as their energy mix, reliance on diesel, carbon emissions and the management of electronic waste.
The digital inclusion component would look beyond network availability to consider coverage, internet penetration, affordability and equitable access to digital services.
The framework also places consumer trust at the centre of sustainability.
Under the digital integrity pillar, proposed indicators include data protection, fraud, consumer complaints and quality of service.
Infrastructure resilience is another major area of concern, with the proposed framework seeking to track challenges such as fibre cuts, vandalism, theft, network restoration and right-of-way issues. It would also consider regulatory compliance and the sector’s readiness for IPv6.
The final pillar focuses on issues specific to Nigeria’s digital economy, including local content, local currency financing, decent work and job creation.
Uwaje said the availability of measurable sustainability data could also make Nigeria’s telecommunications market more attractive to investors, particularly as sustainability requirements become increasingly relevant to global financing.
“An investor relies on a market that builds confidence and has the metrics to measure,” he said.
Why the conversation matters
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has become central to the country’s digital economy, with millions of Nigerians depending on mobile and internet services for communication, business, education and access to information.
But the expansion of digital infrastructure also comes with environmental and operational pressures.
Telecom operators rely heavily on energy to keep networks running, while damaged infrastructure, fibre cuts, vandalism and theft can disrupt services and increase the cost of network maintenance.
Electronic waste is another growing concern as telecommunications equipment is installed, replaced and upgraded.
For the TTSWG, these challenges make it important for the industry to have measurable sustainability standards rather than relying only on individual company reports.
Chairman of the TTSWG Board, Abdu-Waya Mohammed, said the proposed strategy was developed in response to issues including rising energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste, gaps in digital inclusion and the need to strengthen governance across the sector.
He said the strategy would promote renewable energy, digital inclusion, social progress, governance, innovation and the development of sustainability metrics specifically for Nigeria’s telecommunications and technology ecosystem.
However, Mohammed stressed that the framework is not yet final.
“This is a stakeholder engagement. Whatever we are presenting today is a draft from the Secretariat, and we expect feedback from participants to further sharpen the way forward for the implementation of the strategy that we are proposing,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, Bankole Oloruntoba, said sustainability should be viewed as an ecosystem-wide responsibility rather than something individual companies should handle alone.
He identified accountability, innovation, energy efficiency, digital inclusion, electronic waste management, gender inclusion and policy advocacy among the areas that require attention.
Oloruntoba also pointed to the connection between sustainability reporting and access to international capital, noting that some global financing structures now have requirements that organisations may need to meet before accessing certain funding opportunities.
NCC yet to adopt proposed index
While the proposed index has received attention from industry stakeholders, the Nigerian Communications Commission has made it clear that the framework has not been adopted by the Commission.
Representing the NCC, the Director of the Digital Economy Department, Helen Obi, said the proposal would first need to be formally submitted to the Commission for detailed consideration.
Obi said the TTSWG and representatives of IHS had previously engaged the NCC on possible areas of collaboration, but the Commission was still awaiting formal documentation.
“We would still request or require that the documentation be sent to us formally, so that we could review in detail and then give feedback as a Commission,” she said.
She noted that some of the issues contained in the proposed index already align with areas covered by ongoing NCC initiatives, including connectivity, digital inclusion, local device manufacturing, digital skills and support for underserved communities.
The Commission is also working with sub-national governments on stronger and more resilient connectivity as part of efforts to deepen Nigeria’s digital economy.
What happens next?
The proposed framework outlines a three-year roadmap for implementation if it is eventually adopted.
The first year would focus on a pilot phase involving major mobile network operators and leading tower companies. The pilot would test the proposed indicators, refine reporting definitions and templates, develop a reporting module and establish an IPv6 baseline.
The second year would introduce a core reporting system for qualifying licensees, with major operators expected to expand their reporting and contribute to the development of a sector-wide sustainability baseline.
By the third year, the proposal envisages the publication of an annual Nigerian telecom sector sustainability report, an expanded index and independent assurance of reported data.
The proposed index would ultimately require cooperation among the NCC, telecom operators, technology companies, financial institutions, government agencies, academia, development partners and civil society organisations.
For now, the framework remains a proposal under stakeholder review.
Further consultations and formal engagement with the NCC will determine whether the proposed indicators, reporting requirements and implementation structure become a formal sustainability framework for Nigeria’s telecommunications and technology sector.
