Telecom operators set up Working Group to protect infrastructure across Nigeria 

This comes as a response to the rising cases of fibre cuts, equipment theft, and vandalization of telecom infrastructure.

According to a statement from the operators, the Working Group was formed during a high-level meeting of stakeholders in the telecommunications industry, including regulators and law enforcement agencies, hosted by IHS Nigeria at its corporate headquarters in Lagos.

Recognizing the importance of communications infrastructure as the backbone of national security, economic growth and social cohesion, the stakeholders at the meeting convened under the umbrella of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) agreed on the urgent need for collaborative solutions to ensure the protection of these vital assets.

The statement noted that the working group is dedicated to addressing key industry challenges, including the vandalization and theft of telecommunications infrastructure, arbitrary shutdown of base stations, fiber cuts due to road construction and the denial of access by unauthorized individuals.

While commending the decision of the telecom stakeholders in setting up the Working Group, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Services Officer of IHS Nigeria, Dapo Otunla, said:

 “The protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) has been a critical concern for all industry stakeholders.  

“We are experiencing daily losses of assets, which significantly impact on the quality of service delivered to subscribers.  

“Addressing these issues is paramount to sustaining Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and meeting regulatory expectations.” 

The moves by the telecom operators could be seen as moves to drive the implementation of the government’s CNII policy by themselves.

In August last year, President Bola Tinubu signed an official gazette designating telecom infrastructure as critical national information infrastructure and making it a criminal offence for anyone to wilfully destroy such infrastructure in the country.