Theory and Practice of Telecommunications Regulation in Nigeria through the Development Question

The author applies a socio-legal methodology to examine the appropriateness of 'less' regulation principle of free-market in the regulation of Nigeria telecommunications sector given the country's development questions. The author further utilizes the country's sector-specific legislative enactments, policy, economic challenges, and socio-cultural peculiarities as underlying and reinforcing factors for the interrogations and evaluations undertaken in the study. The study finds that market systems possessed significantly unique features and characteristics which are as distinct as the societies in which such economic markets are situated. The peculiarities inherent in the societies form part of the innate elements of 'market forces' which, if uncontrolled, diminish the prospects of economic development and projections made under relevant policies and laws. The author argues for objective and purposeful regulation of markets and articulates a set of market-management benchmarks. The benchmarks outline a regulatory sequence that facilitates rapid realization of intendments of laws, policy and societal expectations. The research questions, analysis, findings and recommendations would be especially useful to governments departments, policy advisers, regulators, scholars of regulation, law and development.