By Niniola Olawale
Stakeholders from government, industry and security gathered at the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) and Sustainability Conference 2025 to debate urgent measures for protecting Nigeria’s telecommunications networks. The conference, held under the theme “Critical National Infrastructure and Industry Sustainability,” drew representatives from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), infrastructure providers and technical experts.
ALTON chairman Engr. Gbenga Adeniyi opened his contribution by warning that theft and vandalism remain a persistent threat to the sector’s long-term sustainability. Adeniyi outlined a multi-layered protection strategy, later described during the conference as consisting of technological safeguards, community engagement, regulatory enforcement, industry security partnerships and continuous monitoring that operators must adopt to reduce asset loss and service disruptions.
A representative, Engineer Oduyemi Ogoh speaking for the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC Dr Aminu Maida delivered the commission’s keynote, urging that telecommunications be treated as critical national infrastructure and receive commensurate legal and security protection. The NCC’s address emphasised the national security and economic risks posed by service outages and called for stronger coordination between regulators, operators and law enforcement to secure networks across urban and rural areas.
A technical presentation from IHS Nigeria provided practical perspectives on network resilience and environmental sustainability. IHS shared approaches to maintaining service continuity despite challenges such as energy shortages, site vandalism and equipment theft, and highlighted best practices operators can use to harden sites and improve rapid response to incidents.
The conference programme included a panel session moderated by veteran journalist Yemi Adepetun. Panelists discussed frontline security challenges faced by telecom security personnel, citing problems such as limited enforcement capacity, gaps in rural security coverage, and increasingly sophisticated tactics by vandals. During the discussion one panelist noted that the financial impact of telecom vandalism in 2023 was estimated at around ₦23 billion, highlighting the scale of the losses the industry continues to suffer.
Speakers argued that broadcast services should be duly engaged in passing across awareness to the public.
The event incorporated an interactive question-and-answer segment during which seated guests raised concerns ranging from the adequacy of legal penalties for vandals to strategies for improving community ownership of telecom assets. Many attendees called for public awareness campaigns to make local communities partners in protecting mast sites, fibre routes and power supplies.
Recommendations across sessions converged on strengthening regulatory enforcement, expanding public-private security partnerships, deploying smarter site-protection technologies, and investing in community engagement programs to reduce vandalism incentives.
