By Tajudeen Atitebi
Stakeholders in the telecoms sector in Nigeria are heaving a sigh of relief with the recent designation of telecoms infrastructure as critical national assets by the federal government.
The designation of these infrastructure as critical national assets was contained in the new Executive Order assented to by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024.
The Executive Order, titled “Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order 2024, gives priority protection to all ICT infrastructure across the country.
It directs all the security agencies to give special protection to telecommunication infrastructure in the country.
With this Order, there is now a comprehensive policy framework to protect telecommunication assets.
Telecom infrastructure are the backbone of telecoms services. They facilitate the transfer of messages over long distances. These facilities include the media, data centers, cell towers, fiber optic cables, and satellite stations, among others.
Many stakeholders were excited by the new Executive Order and commended the president, the federal government and the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) for their collaboration on the issuance of the Executive Order.
Some stakeholders, however, said the Order was long overdue given the long years of continuous destruction and brazen vandalism of telecom assets by hoodlums across the county.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the President of National Association of Telecommunication Subscribers (NATCOM), commended President Tinubu and the federal government for issuing the Executive Order.
He particularly commended the NCC for its perseverance in getting to this stage in its bid to ensure adequate protection for telecom infrastructure.
Ogunbanjo said the industry had waited patiently over the years for such initiative to come.
“We have been on this journey for a long time, since the days of Earnest Ndukwe as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission. But today, it has finally happened,” Ogunbanjo said.
Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators in Nigeria (ALTTON), said the nation’s digital ecosystem would now be better secured to offer improved services.
He also suggested the establishment of a centralised and up-to-date database of all telecom infrastructure across the country to enhance security and resilience.
Dapo Otunla, the Senior Vice President in IHS Towers, said the protection of telecom facilities was vital to achieving the federal government’s digital economy objectives.
“Securing Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure is essential for fostering a sustainable digital economy,” he said.
Abdulrahman Akanbi, a cybersecurity expert, described the development as a timely and strategic move.
“As we strive to build a robust digital economy, the protection of this critical infrastructure cannot be overstated. I sincerely hope that this measure will foster a culture of respect for law and order among the people.
“It is essential that every stakeholder, from individuals to organizations, understands the significance of these assets and adheres to the regulations set forth to protect them.
“Together, we can ensure a safer, more reliable digital environment for all,’’ he said.
The operators, while commending the federal government for this achievement, said they could now go home and sleep with their eyes closed.
Before now, the major issue affecting efficient service delivery in the sector was the destruction and vandalism of telecom facilities by thieves.
Operators said activities of hoodlum were threatening the over $80 billion investments in the telecom industry.
In 2023, the NCC reported that destruction of fiber optic infrastructure was responsible for over 30% of reported network outages across the country.
One of the service providers said it was recording an average of 1,600 fiber optic cuts per month.
Many of the operators had had to refix their damaged facilities with millions of dollars which had impacted on their operational costs and negatively affected their profitability.
In 2022, the NCC reported over 50,000 cases of major damage to telecom infrastructure and facilities across the country within five years.
Dr. Adedoyin Adeola, Vice President, Network Operations in Airtel Nigeria, said telecoms installations across the country were being repeatedly vandalised, stolen, bombed and destroyed with reckless abandon, creating a myriad of problems for the operators as well as the consumers.
“Telecom operators are plagued with so many problems ranging from security issues to illegal signal boosters.
“While the network provider is working hard to restore a fiber cut due to vandalism or activities of road construction workers, it also has to deal with illegal signal boosters, operated by unlicensed operators, which interfere with network quality,” he said.
Carl Cruz, the CEO of Airtel Nigeria, said the incidence of destruction of facilities had gone beyond disruption of services to also escalating operational costs.
“This challenge is not just a technical issue, but a financial burden on the industry.
“Without a secure and resilient infrastructure, the gains of the past two decades could be affected, and the possibility for future growth limited,” Cruz said.
According to a report, over N13 billion was spent by operators in fixing damages to fiber cuts and other damaged infrastructure in 2022.
The amount rose to N14.6 billion in 2023.
In the same report, operators were reported to have suffered revenue losses of about N12 billion between 2022 and 2023.
To put an end to the wanton destruction of telecoms facilities and the associated costs, the NCC has long been in the vanguard of safeguarding these facilities.
In 2017, the NCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on the protection of telecommunication facilities across the country.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the current Chief Executive of the NCC, described the new Executive Order as a game changer in the struggle to cleanse the sector of hoodlums.
He said the Executive Order represented a structured approach to the protection of telecom infrastructure.
Maida is optimistic that the initiative will ensure a secure and resilient communication network for Nigerians.
He, however, said the Executive Order did not come easy, but achieved through the Commission’s proactive advocacy and strategic collaboration with key stakeholders like the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Maida said the NCC’s long commitment to securing the telecom assets was also to enable the Commission realise its own mandate of promoting efficient, reliable, affordable and easily accessible communications services across the country.
He said that without a secured environment for the operators, it would be impossible for the NCC to achieve its mandate.
“We cannot guarantee a truly digital economy without being able to adequately protect this telecommunication infrastructure that underpins the digital economy,” Maida said. (GBN)
