As Nigeria’s telecom industry expands into a $75.6 billion sector, stakeholders are intensifying efforts to safeguard its vital infrastructure against escalating threats, recognizing its crucial role in driving economic growth and digital transformation.
The urgency of this initiative has heightened following President Bola Tinubu’s August 2024 designation of telecom facilities as critical national assets under the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order. This step aligns with the 7th edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo), themed “CNII: Strengthening Protection.”
The telecom sector has been grappling with a surge in vandalism, theft, cyberattacks, and arbitrary shutdowns, which have resulted in significant financial losses, disruptions in service delivery, and cascading effects on businesses and consumers alike. According to Omobayo Azeez, Lead Executive of PIAFo, the telecom industry is fundamental to Nigeria’s economy, and any disruption could cripple operations across various sectors. “The telecom sector is the backbone of modern commerce, banking, and governance. If left unprotected, the consequences will be profound,” Azeez warned.
He pointed to the nationwide outage in March 2024 caused by undersea cable cuts, which resulted in an estimated economic loss of $593.6 million. The scale of infrastructure sabotage has reached alarming levels, with over 50,000 fibre cuts recorded in 2024 alone, causing costly repairs and widespread network failures.
Azeez further revealed that telecom operators spent over N35 billion last year on repairing damaged infrastructure, money that could have been allocated to expanding networks and improving service delivery and broadband access.
In response, PIAFo is leading a collaborative effort to tackle these threats through heightened security awareness, stronger regulatory measures, and robust partnerships with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), responsible for implementing the CNII Order.
The upcoming summit, endorsed by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), will take place on March 20, 2025, in Lagos. Industry leaders, security experts, and policymakers will convene to discuss practical solutions to secure the telecom sector, ensuring its long-term resilience and continued growth as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s digital economy.
With the nation increasingly dependent on digital connectivity, stakeholders emphasize the urgency for reforms, more stringent enforcement of protective measures, and innovative security frameworks to defend telecom assets against internal and external threats. Strengthening telecom infrastructure is essential for sustaining Nigeria’s economic momentum and advancing its position in the global digital landscape.
