The political economy of deregulation and economic growth : a study of Nigeria's telecommunications sector (2000-2014)

Abstract

Telecommunications remain one of the most strategic economic sectors that assume prominence in the current discourses on growth and integration of national economies and transnational production. An effective telecommunications system enables countries to achieve impressive socio-economic gains. However, the Nigerian telecommunications system under state monopoly has been characterized as grossly inefficient and financially a burden on the government, among others. The government has placed a conscious strategy towards regulatory reforms in the sector. The reforms emphasize on market opening by allowing entry of private and transnational operators into the country's telecommunications market, which will eventually lead to a transformation within the industry. This study attempts to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the transformation in Nigeria's telecommunications industry, with emphasis on the impact towards economic growth. The privatization policy in this sector that resulted in the emergence of private and transnational firms, led to telephone services being more easily accessible, cost effective and competitive amongst the operators. The central argument of this study is that a significant correlation exists between market competition and growth, showing Nigerian telecommunications has been positively affected by the new deregulation policy. The positive impact of deregulations was proven by the growth rate of the selected indicators that were arranged into two broad dimensions: economic and technological dimensions. The economic dimension focuses on some economic variables, namely the sector's investment growth rate and revenue percentage compared to GDP, while the technological dimension gives emphasis towards technological and ICT related indicators, to be precise, advanced telecommunications infrastructure and the emergence of new telecommunication services.