Nigeria telecom infrastructure protection strengthened by NCC to secure critical digital assets, prevent vandalism, and enhance national cybersecurity

Nigeria telecom infrastructure protection has been strengthened following new measures by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to secure the nation’s critical digital assets.

Also read: NCC telecom pricing reforms set to attract $1bn

The initiative comes amid a sharp rise in vandalism targeting telecommunications infrastructure, including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and tower companies such as IHS Towers, with operators reporting at least five incidents daily since May 2025.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida emphasized that protecting critical information infrastructure is both a regulatory mandate and a national security priority.

The commission will work with operators, security agencies, and stakeholders to ensure proactive risk management, rapid incident response, and resilience against cyberattacks, sabotage, and natural disasters.

Critical assets identified for protection include telecom base stations, data centres, undersea cable landing stations, and other core network components.

Industry players welcomed the move, citing repeated fibre cuts, equipment theft, and sabotage that have disrupted connectivity.

Also read: NCC Corporate Governance rules ban top officials from telecom jobs for five years

The initiative aligns with the President’s directive and the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy, which prioritizes safeguarding critical information infrastructure across the country.