The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has found that 27% of surveyed telecommunications licensees have no form of artificial intelligence (AI) governance, despite the growing adoption of the technology for business operations, customer service and network optimisation.

Dr Ibiso Kingsley-George, Head of the Internet Governance Unit at the NCC, disclosed this today during a presentation at the Internet Governance Symposium in Lagos, where she presented findings from the commission’s survey examining industry participation in Internet governance and readiness to implement regulatory requirements.

According to the presentation, 73% of licensees surveyed were using AI in live operations or piloting the technology, while 39% of respondents had an approved AI policy and 34% had human oversight of AI-driven decisions.

According to the presentation, 73% of licensees surveyed were using AI in live operations or piloting the technology, while 39% of respondents had an approved AI policy and 34% had human oversight of AI-driven decisions.

“AI is being used faster than it is being governed,” Kingsley-George said, highlighting the need for stronger governance arrangements as organisations expand their use of the technology.

The findings by NCC indicate gaps in how organisations manage AI deployment, including the establishment of internal policies, assessment of potential risks and oversight of automated decisions.

The presentation also indicated that 49% of respondents reported conducting risk or impact assessments, while 53% were reportedly unclear about what qualifies as an AI system.

NCC plans AI governance guidelines

To address the gaps identified in the survey, the telecoms regulator plans to publish implementation guidelines, frequently asked questions and templates to help licensees understand their obligations under its Internet Code of Practice 2026.

The measures are expected to clarify the Commission’s requirements for different types of businesses, including provisions relating to AI use, reporting and compliance.

Kingsley-George said the survey had also provided an opportunity for licensees to communicate the support they needed to implement the Code.

According to the presentation, licensees requested clearer explanations of the commission’s expectations for their respective businesses, alongside practical guidance on meeting the requirements.

NCC plans to organise subsector workshops to support operators that are not fully prepared to implement the Code.

The survey also highlighted consumer transparency as a major consideration in AI governance, with 94% of respondents believing that consumers should be informed when interacting with AI.

The finding reflects growing concerns about how consumers are informed when automated systems handle customer enquiries or provide digital services.

The presentation further indicated that 40% of respondents preferred periodic reporting on AI deployments rather than reporting each deployment before it begins.

Compliance costs were also identified as a concern for organisations implementing AI governance requirements.

However, the presentation did not provide a detailed breakdown of these costs or the number of respondents who raised the concern.

Internet Code readiness raises concerns

Beyond AI governance, the survey examined the readiness of licensees to implement the Internet Code of Practice 2026, which establishes expectations for Internet access services and the responsibilities of providers.

Kingsley-George identified cybersecurity requirements and AI provisions as challenging areas for licensees.

The Code is intended to promote open Internet access, transparency, non-discriminatory traffic management, online safety and data protection obligations.

The Commission’s presentation stressed that implementing the Code requires more than awareness of its provisions.

“Awareness alone is not enough: the Code’s requirements must be built into everyday licensee operations,” she said.

Under this approach, licensees are expected to incorporate the Code’s requirements into internal policies, technical processes, consumer-facing practices, reporting arrangements and compliance structures.

The presentation included figures indicating that 14 licensees were fully ready to implement the Code, nine were partially ready and five were not ready. These figures add up to 28, however, while another part of the presentation refers to 19 licensees and industry respondents. 

The Commission plans to publish implementation guidance and organise workshops to help resolve uncertainties and improve compliance coordination across the sector.

NCC targets cybersecurity and telecom infrastructure resilience

The commission also identified cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience as major Internet governance priorities, given the dependence of financial services, commerce, education, public administration and communications on reliable Internet connectivity.

The presentation referenced the Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector, which provides a structured, risk-based approach to managing cyber risks and service disruptions.

The framework covers governance, risk management, incident response, recovery, reporting, monitoring, auditing and compliance. It also provides for tiered implementation, with controls proportionate to the nature, scale and criticality of individual providers.

Explaining the importance of resilience, Kingsley-George noted that disruptions and cyber incidents have “economic, operational and national security consequences.”

The framework is designed to strengthen providers’ ability to anticipate, withstand, respond to and recover from incidents while maintaining essential services.

NCC’s regulatory approach combines the Internet Code of Practice, which addresses responsible Internet access and consumer-facing obligations, with the resilience framework, which focuses on managing risks to networks and essential services.

Three in five organisations missing from Internet governance processes

The NCC survey also identified limited participation in Internet governance as a concern.

Kingsley-George said three in five organisations had not engaged in Internet governance processes, despite the growing importance of decisions affecting Internet standards, cybersecurity, data flows and emerging technologies.

The presentation identified lack of awareness as the main barrier to participation. Other reasons included the absence of internal mandates and the perception among some licensees that Internet governance activities were not relevant to their business processes.

The survey received responses from 47 organisations across industry, academia and civil society. The presentation listed seven mobile network operators, five Internet service providers, four technical community respondents, four community respondents, two platforms and one infrastructure licensee. The stated categories require clarification because they do not match the reported figure of 19 licensees and industry respondents.

The presentation also reported that 53% of respondents had participated in the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum, while 40% had not attended any Internet governance events.

To improve participation, the Commission plans to use an Internet Governance Working Group to coordinate engagement among mobile network operators, Internet service providers and other stakeholders.

The group is expected to identify emerging policy issues, strengthen the sector’s participation in Internet governance and feed telecommunications-sector perspectives into national discussions.

Consumer protection and digital inclusion remain priorities

The Commission’s Internet governance agenda also covers consumer protection, child online safety and meaningful connectivity.

The presentation stated that consumer trust depends on ensuring that users’ rights, information and safety are protected when they access communications and online services.

It also called for particular attention to children and other vulnerable users through reporting mechanisms, parental control tools and public education.

At the same time, the presentation emphasised that online safeguards must not unnecessarily restrict innovation, legitimate expression or the open nature of the Internet.

On digital inclusion, Kingsley-George’s presentation argued that Internet governance cannot succeed while significant sections of the population remain unconnected or unable to use digital services meaningfully.

“Digital inclusion extends beyond network availability,” she said.

The Commission identified affordability, accessibility, quality of service, digital literacy, relevant local content and safe participation online as essential components of meaningful connectivity.

Related priorities include broadband expansion, infrastructure resilience, local Internet traffic exchange, IPv6 adoption, efficient management of Internet resources and capacity development.

The presentation indicated that 46 of the 47 organisations that responded to the survey were willing to participate in future stakeholder engagements and workshops.

NCC intends to use these engagements and the proposed Internet Governance Working Group to strengthen coordination among government, industry, academia, civil society and the technical community, according to the telecoms regulator.