Joy Agwunobi
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is facing a worsening crisis of infrastructure vandalism and theft, with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealing that over 35,000 fibre optic cuts and 3,168 theft-related incidents have already been recorded across the country in 2025 alone — a development that continues to erode service quality and threaten the stability of the nation’s digital infrastructure.
Aminu Maida,the executive vice chairman of the NCC, made this known in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by Edoyemi Ogoh, director of technical standards and network integrity at the Commission, during the Industry Sustainability and Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Conference held in Lagos.
The event, organised by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), convened regulators, industry operators, and key stakeholders under the theme: “Telecom Industry Sustainability and CNII Factor – Way Forward.”
Maida highlighted the level of damage being done to telecom infrastructure nationwide, disclosing that an average of 1,100 fibre cuts are recorded every week, mainly due to construction activities, vandalism, and deliberate sabotage. Compounding the problem are an estimated 545 cases of site access denial and 99 incidents of theft occurring weekly, all of which make it increasingly difficult for network operators to maintain, secure, and scale their infrastructure effectively.
“These are not just statistics,” he said, “they represent real service disruptions for millions of Nigerians and financial losses running into billions of naira.”
The EVC emphasised that Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure — including fibre cables, cell towers, base stations, and data centres — has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) due to its central role in powering sectors such as banking, healthcare, education, and national security. However, persistent attacks by vandals, cable thieves, and even some uncooperative communities have left this infrastructure vulnerable and repeatedly compromised.
“Telecommunications infrastructure is the nervous system of our national digital economy,” Maida stated. “Yet every week, we record over 1,100 fibre cuts, 545 access denials, and nearly 100 thefts. The sector cannot thrive in a climate where technicians are routinely attacked and operators are forced to rebuild the same infrastructure week after week.”
Beyond these physical threats, Maida also highlighted several systemic and regulatory bottlenecks inhibiting progress in the sector. These include poor electricity supply, bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining Right-of-Way (RoW) approvals, rising cybersecurity threats, and the general insecurity facing operators in conflict-prone regions.
Despite the fact that telecom contributes more than 14.4 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the sector remains under siege, he said, underscoring the urgency of collaborative action.
“This must not be just another conference,” Maida stressed. “Let it serve as a national awakening to the need to secure our digital future.”
Also lending his voice, Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), described the situation as “unsustainable.
“Every base station lost is a step backward for Nigeria’s digital economy,” Adebayo said, calling on both the media and local communities to take ownership of efforts aimed at safeguarding telecom infrastructure.
He warned that the country’s ambitious digital transformation goals, including economic diversification, financial inclusion, and improved service delivery in critical sectors, could be derailed if urgent and coordinated action is not taken to halt the relentless sabotage of telecom assets.
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