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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for an urgent and stronger partnership with the judiciary to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure from a rising wave of vandalism and sabotage.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in the Telecommunications Sector on Thursday, May 14, in Lagos, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, emphasized that judicial intervention is now a "decisive factor" in securing Nigeria’s digital future.
Protecting Critical Assets
Dr. Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, revealed that despite the industry’s rapid growth, the sector remains under constant threat. He highlighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially designated telecommunications assets as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
“Telecommunications infrastructure is the backbone of our digital economy. Its protection requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” Maida stated.
The NCC boss noted that while operators invested over $1 billion in network expansion in 2025 alone pushing broadband penetration from 47.7% to 54.3% in 2026 these gains are being undermined by:
Persistent Vandalism: Frequent cuts to fiber-optic cables during construction or through deliberate theft.
Equipment Theft: The stealing of generators, batteries, and solar panels from remote base stations.
Sabotage: Intentional disruption of services that compromises both economic stability and national security.
Data Consumption at Record Highs
The urgency for judicial backing coincides with a massive surge in data usage. New figures released at the workshop show that Nigerians consumed 1.42 million terabytes of data in March 2026, a staggering 43% increase from the 995,000 terabytes recorded in March 2025.
Maida equated this consumption to Nigerians watching roughly 15 million hours of high-definition video every single day, underscoring how vital reliable connectivity has become for remote work, e-commerce, and education.
A Call for "5G Speed" Justice
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NCC Board of Commissioners, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, urged the judiciary to move at "the speed of 5G" when adjudicating cases related to telecom infrastructure. He argued that the legal system must evolve alongside technology to provide regulatory certainty for investors and deter criminal syndicates.
The workshop, themed "Adjudicating in the Digital Era: The Judiciary's Imperative in Connectivity, Infrastructure Protection and Online Safety," also addressed broader digital threats, including:
Cybercrime: The NCC’s new Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) aims to curb SIM-related fraud.
Financial Scams: A recent MoU between the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was highlighted as a key tool for tracking e-fraud.
Online Harms: Concerns were raised regarding hate speech, misinformation, and child exploitation.
Judicial Readiness
The Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, acknowledged the judiciary's pivotal role. He stated that judges must have a "sophisticated grasp" of the telecommunications environment to balance innovation with rights protection and national security.
As Nigeria deepens its reliance on digital platforms, the NCC maintains that the judiciary’s ability to set firm legal precedents against infrastructure vandals will be the ultimate safeguard for the country's $75 billion telecommunications industry.