The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised a red flag over what it describes as the systematic sabotage of telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. Over 1,000 fibre optic cable cuts, 545 access denials, and nearly 100 theft cases are recorded weekly across the country.
Speaking in Lagos at an event themed “Critical National ICT Infrastructure and Industry Sustainability- Way Forward,” the executive vice chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, who was represented by the director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, warned that the recurring disruptions directly threaten Nigeria’s national security, public safety, and economic stability.
‘Telecom infrastructure is the nervous system of Nigeria’s economy. And these disruptions are more than operational as they are sabotage,’ he said.
While lamenting the rising wave of vandalism, theft, and bureaucratic bottlenecks stalling infrastructure deployment and service delivery, Dr. Maida noted that the effects are becoming increasingly systemic, affecting emergency response systems, disrupting banking transactions, compromising national security apparatus, and undercutting public confidence in digital platforms.
He added that, when Nigerians complain about poor quality of service, it’s often not due to operator negligence, but deliberate damage.
The EVC emphasised that the telecom sector has evolved from a service industry to the backbone of Nigeria’s digital transformation. “We are beyond connectivity. Telecom now underpins critical sectors from banking and energy to education, health, and governance. These assets are national infrastructure and must be protected as such,” Dr. Maida averred.
According to him, the threats extend beyond physical vandalism, including cyberattacks, power instability, rising operational costs, and regional insecurity, creating a complex web of vulnerabilities. He cautioned that power instability, red tape, and increasing cyber threats are converging with vandalism to create a perfect storm.
However, he affirmed that the NCC has activated a multi-pronged security framework that includes nationwide public awareness campaigns, strict enforcement of technical standards, and enhanced inter-agency collaboration with security and legal institutions.
“We are collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser, state attorneys-general, and the National Assembly to reclassify telecom vandalism as economic sabotage,” Maida revealed.
Meanwhile, the commission has also launched Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) platforms in states like Kogi and Osun to resolve conflicts stalling infrastructure deployment. Engagement is always the first tool. But when that fails, we will enforce not to punish, but to protect our national digital lifeline,’ he said.
Dr. Maida outlined five strategic recommendations to safeguard infrastructure: sustained public education, formalising multi-stakeholder collaboration, simplifying permit procedures, improving real-time intelligence sharing, and imposing stiffer sanctions on perpetrators. Vandalising telecom infrastructure is economic treason, he warned. The law must reflect that.
Also speaking, Engr is the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON). Gbenga Adebayo lamented the frequent attacks on critical telecom assets. Telecom infrastructure is the backbone of our digital economy. Yet, Adebayo noted that it is consistently under siege, urging operators and host communities to adopt layered security approaches, including fencing, surveillance, and restricted access.
Similarly, the president of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi, called for expedited legislative backing to criminalise telecom vandalism as a national economic offence. He proposed the establishment of a Telecom Security Trust Fund, modelled after state security trust funds, to finance targeted enforcement and community protection initiatives.
