Nigerian Telecom Operators Face Billions in Losses from Vandalism Amid New Protection Measures
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has highlighted severe challenges faced by telecommunications operators in Nigeria, citing frequent incidents of fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft of equipment that collectively cost billions of Naira each year.
Maida addressed these issues while delivering the keynote address at the recent launch of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Protection and Resilience Workshop.
The event, organized by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser, was convened to discuss strategies for implementing President Bola Tinubu’s recent Executive Order, which designates telecom infrastructure as CNII.
“The telecom industry faces significant challenges, including frequent fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft, which cost operators billions of Naira in revenue and billions of Naira in repair expenses,” Maida said.
He also pointed to restricted access to telecom facilities by property owners and government entities as another barrier, hindering network expansion, reducing connectivity, and impacting overall service quality.
The call for protection of telecom infrastructure as a national asset has been longstanding among industry stakeholders.
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Earlier this year, Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, reiterated this appeal following a widespread internet outage caused by damage to fiber optic cables. MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecom operator, reported over 6,000 fibre cuts in 2023 alone, with relocation costs exceeding N11 billion.
Similarly, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO, Carl Cruz, recently disclosed that the telecom giant faces around 1,000 fibre cuts each month, reflecting the scale of the issue.
While this latest Executive Order signifies a renewed commitment to protecting critical infrastructure, concerns linger about the government’s capacity to enforce these directives.
In 2020, a similar declaration by former President Muhammadu Buhari, coordinated by former Communications Minister Dr. Isa Pantami, aimed to secure telecom infrastructure but ultimately had limited impact due to persistent vandalism.
With new measures now under discussion and the involvement of security agencies like the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), there is cautious optimism within the industry that the issue of infrastructure protection will receive the necessary attention and enforcement.
Whether these efforts will bring sustained improvement, however, remains to be seen as the industry grapples with infrastructure challenges that impact service delivery and increase operational costs for telecom operators across Nigeria.
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