Vandalism: Telecom sector records billion naira losses, NCC urges infrastructure protection

Joy Agwunobi

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has shed light on the ongoing challenges faced by telecom operators in the country, highlighting widespread fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft of equipment as major setbacks.

These issues have resulted in financial losses amounting to billions of Naira for operators, according to Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of the NCC. Maida made this statement during the inauguration of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Protection and Resilience Workshop, an initiative aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s communication infrastructure against persistent threats.

The event, which was organised by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser, came in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s recent Executive Order issued in August.

The directive officially classified Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), with the objective of safeguarding these assets against malicious activities that compromise both service quality and operational efficiency.

During his keynote address at the workshop, Maida stressed the urgency of implementing the CNII Executive Order to protect Nigeria’s digital and communications infrastructure.

He stated, “The telecom industry faces significant challenges, including frequent fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft, which cost operators billions of Naira in revenue and repair expenses. Additionally, restricted access to telecom facilities by property owners and government entities hampers network expansion efforts, limiting connectivity and impacting service quality.”

Prior to the recent CNII designation, telecom operators in Nigeria had expressed frustration and urged for recognition as critical infrastructure. According to telcos,  they had been facing continuous attacks on their networks, with severed fibre optic cables and vandalised base stations causing widespread service disruptions.

These persistent assaults have severely strained the industry’s capacity to provide quality telecommunications to millions of Nigerians,  the operators further noted that , the escalating situation jeopardises the country’s digital future, impacting both businesses and consumers.

A report from the NCC painted a clear picture of the severity of these challenges. According to the report, the telecom industry spent approximately N14 billion between 2022 and 2023 to repair nearly 59,000 fibre cuts. The report noted that in 2022 alone, operators recorded an average of 40 daily incidents of fibre cuts, amounting to almost 1,000 cuts every month.

As these incidents increase, the financial burden on telecom operators grows, pushing up operational costs and ultimately affecting service quality. The impact is evident nationwide, as millions of Nigerians experienced frequent service disruptions, ranging from dropped calls and slow internet speeds to poor voice quality. For businesses, particularly those in sectors like banking that depend on seamless telecommunications for daily transactions, these disruptions pose a severe risk.

Speaking at a telecom event, Carl Cruz, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, emphasised the magnitude of the issue, revealing that Airtel alone experiences over 1,000 fibre cuts each month. Similarly, MTN Nigeria reported facing more than 6,000 fibre cuts in 2023, forcing the operator to relocate 2,500 kilometres of vulnerable fibre lines between 2022 and 2023. This massive undertaking cost MTN over N11 billion.

Meanwhile, the designation of telecom infrastructure as CNII now brings Nigeria in line with global standards observed in countries like China, India, and the United States, where critical telecommunications assets are protected by strict regulations and penalties.

While the recent classification offers renewed hope for improved security and resilience in the telecommunications industry, experts caution that the success of this policy will heavily depend on the government’s dedication to rigorous enforcement and its ability to hold perpetrators accountable.