Stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecommunications and technology sectors have proposed a National Telecom Sustainability Index to provide a common way of measuring the industry’s environmental, social and governance performance.
The proposal was presented at a Telecoms and Technology Sustainability Working Group stakeholder meeting in Abuja, where industry representatives reviewed a draft framework for sustainable telecommunications and technology development between 2027 and 2032.
The proposed index would assess operators using five broad areas: environment and energy; digital inclusion and affordability; digital integrity, privacy and consumer trust; infrastructure resilience and governance; and supply chain and local value creation.
Under the environmental and energy category, the proposed measurements would include energy sources, dependence on diesel, carbon emissions and electronic waste management. The digital inclusion component would examine issues such as network coverage, penetration, affordability and access to telecommunications services.
The framework would also measure data protection, fraud, consumer complaints and service quality. Infrastructure resilience would cover challenges including vandalism, fibre cuts, equipment theft, network restoration, right-of-way issues and IPv6 readiness.
The fifth pillar would focus on issues specific to Nigeria, including local content, local-currency financing, decent work and employment creation. Supporters of the proposal said measurable sustainability indicators could also improve transparency and strengthen investor confidence.
Chris Uwaje, a board member of the Telecoms and Technology Sustainability Working Group, said the proposed framework was designed to connect Nigeria’s telecom environment with internationally recognised sustainability reporting practices.
However, the proposed index has not yet been adopted by the Nigerian Communications Commission. An NCC representative, Helen Obi, said the commission would need to receive and formally review the proposal before taking a position on it.
The draft strategy proposes a three-year implementation process. The first stage would involve testing indicators with major mobile network operators and tower companies, while later stages would expand reporting and eventually lead to an annual sustainability report for Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
The proposal comes as the global telecom industry continues to develop more standardised ways of measuring sustainability. GSMA Intelligence, for example, operates a Green Network Index that measures the environmental sustainability of mobile and fixed networks using comparable indicators.
Further consultations are expected before Nigeria’s proposed index, its indicators and reporting requirements are finalised. Stakeholders say collaboration between regulators, operators, technology companies, investors, government agencies and other organisations will be important to its implementation.