Indeed, Goodnews is just one of the many players in the industry worried about the NITDA Bill. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has rejected the bill saying it will increase regulations even as telecom operators already pay 30 different levies and may not be able to pay yet another levy to fund the NITDA Development Fund as proposed in the bill. Another important group, the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) agrees with ALTON that any additional levy is a threat to the sector.

Obviously, Part IV of the proposed bill is seen by investors as another tool to introduce yet another levy. This is even as anti-corruption campaigners have rejected the idea of creating the National Information Technology Fund as proposed in PART IV of the NITDA Bill. Yet still, it is a fact that the new high levy on all digital services will lead to an increase in prices of ICT and other related services.

This Sub-section reads: (1) There is established a Fund, which shall be known as the National

Information Technology Development Fund (in this Act referred to as “the

Fund”) and shall be used for the advancement of the country’s digital

economy objectives and related purposes. (2) There shall be paid and credited into the Fund:

(a) a levy of one per cent of the profit before tax of companies

and enterprises enumerated in the Third Schedule to this Act

with an annual turnover of N100, 000,000 and above;

Section 15 is something anti-corruption campaigners are most agitated by. It gives the Director-General control of the NITDA Trust Fund. It reads: (1) There is established a Fund, which shall be known as the National Information Technology Development Fund (in this Act referred to as “the Fund”) and shall be used for the advancement of the country’s digital

economy objectives and related purposes. (2) There shall be paid and credited into the Fund:

(a) a levy of one per cent of the profit before tax of companies

and enterprises enumerated in the Third Schedule to this Act with an annual turnover of N100, 000,000 and above.

Section 17 Sub-Section 3 ( a-e) further exposes the intention to turn the NITDA Trust Fund to some kind of slush fund for the Director-General at a time when government must block loopholes, stop leakages and ensure that all income generated by government is deployed for development. Historically the National Assembly has severally kicked against MDAs not paying in money raised into the federation account, as agents of government, under the guise that the Act establishing them gives them the power to generate income and spend. This controversial section reads: (3) The Agency may, without prejudice to the provision of Section 13 (1) of this Act, apply the proceeds of the Fund established under Section

13 of this Act:

(a) to the advancement of the purpose of this Act;

(b) to the cost of administration and operation of the Agency;

(c) for the development and maintenance of any property vested

in or owned by the Agency;

(d) for investments in initiatives to attain the objectives of the

Agency; and

(e) to any other expenditure in connection with any of its functions

under this Act.

Beyond fears of creating a heavily taxed ICT sector, different stakeholders say it is highly unnecessary to create a large and unwieldy regulator which will regulate many aspects of people’s lives and cover various sectors since digital culture is all-encompassing. Section 5 of the bill titled “Functions of the Agency” gives the NITDA which is to be turned to a regulator from its government tech hub and instigator role to an agency with power to regulate consumer protection, roles which the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria already perform. Specifically, Section 5 (22) of the bill seeks to “protect the interest and rights of consumers against unfair practices in collaboration with the consumer protection regulator.

Read more @: https://frontlinenews.com.ng/nitda-bill-as-a-recipe-for-disaster/

I don't see what's wrong with this bill, it only need some tinkering with here and there.

The ICT sector (not the telecommunication) needs regulation and a regulator, no agency is better placed to pursue that than NITDA.

The only gray area that needs looking into is regarding spending of the money, having a board that oversees how the funds are utilized will increase transparency.

Another thing is maybe increasing threshold of the business from 100m to maybe 500m or a billion.

I don't see the need for all this noise.