The executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, has said the commission recorded 366 incidents of network services disruptions in Anambra State alone, between January and October this year.
The NCC boss said this yesterday at the Anambra Innovation Week at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Awka, where the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has earmarked N100 million to empower about 2000 youths in the state.
Delivering lecture on the topic titled ‘Catalysing Innovation: Transforming Nigeria’s Technology Landscape at the event Maida who was represented by an assistant director in the NCC, Onuogu said out of the 366 incidents, 130 were due to theft and vandalism, while 236 involved operators being denied access to tower sites.
He stated that each of the incidents has the potential to disrupt services and even cost lives.
Underscoring the importance of communication technology, the NCC boss said “Imagine an individual unable to call for an ambulance or a community is cut off during a crisis simply because a critical telecom site was vandalised or assets for maintenance were denied?
“This is a shared responsibility and the successful implementation of the Critical National Information Infrastructure, CNII in the nation, demands cooperation in every level of government,” he said.
Maida stated that President Bola Tinubu recently signed a landmark presidential order designating telecom infrastructure as critical national information infrastructure (CNII).
This he said, highlights the vital role telecoms assets, bay stations, data centers and fiber optics networks play as the backbone of the nation’s digital economy.
He said protecting these assets is not just about protecting technology but about protecting lives.
“Telecom infrastructure is the invisible lifeline that connects millions of Nigerians, enabling them to communicate, assess essential services, and even call for help in emergencies.
“I strongly appeal to every state government and indeed Anambra State, to support this initiative. By doing so, we can drastically reduce the risk posed by vandalism and ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
“Let us stand together in protecting our telecoms infrastructure, not just as a foundation for our digital economy, but as a safeguard for the lives and wellbeing of every Nigerian,” he said.
Maida commended the decision of Anambra state government to waive right-of-way charges for telecom companies, noting that it will effectively lower the barriers to broadband infrastructure deployment.
He said Anambra State by the decision, has become a model for other states and has the potential to evolve into Nigeria’s own thriving tech hub if it continues to support and invest in forward-thinking ICT initiatives.
He further urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to champion the cause of investing in ICT among members of the Nigerian Governors Forum.
Maida maintained that his Commission is committed to driving a transformative agenda and catalyzing innovation that will shape Nigeria’s technology landscape.
He said; “Our work is focused on expanding digital infrastructure, empowering local talents and supporting businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
“The NCC is implementing the Nigeria Broadband plan which aims to extend broadband and its services to all nooks and crannies of the state, fast affordable network services.”
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