Stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecommunications and technology sectors have proposed a National Telecom Sustainability Index to measure the industry’s environmental, social and governance performance.

The idea was presented at a strategy meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

The proposed index is designed to create a common standard for assessing how telecom operators handle sustainability issues. It is built around five main pillars covering the environment and energy, digital inclusion and affordability, digital integrity and consumer trust, infrastructure resilience and governance, and supply chain and local value creation.

Under these pillars, the index would track matters such as energy use and emissions, network coverage and affordability, data protection and service quality, protection of infrastructure from vandalism and fibre cuts, as well as local content and job creation. Organisers said clear metrics could also help attract investors who increasingly demand measurable sustainability performance.

The framework remains a draft and is still open to feedback from industry players. The Telecoms and Technology Sustainability Working Group stressed that it has not yet been adopted by the Nigerian Communications Commission and requires formal review.

The Commission said it would need a detailed formal submission before taking a position. Stakeholders expect further consultations and a phased implementation process that could eventually lead to an annual national sustainability report for the telecom sector.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper