The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced the commencement of enforcement activities under the new Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which criminalises the vandalism and tampering of critical national infrastructure, including telecommunications facilities.
This decisive action aims to tackle the alarming rate of vandalism, theft, and obstruction at telecom sites — incidents that have severely impacted network quality and disrupted digital services for millions of Nigerians.
Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs at the NCC, disclosed this development during a courtesy visit by the executive committee of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory Council to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Ukoha represented the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr. Aminu Maida, at the meeting, which also had in attendance key officials from the Commission’s media, protocol, and government relations departments.
Ukoha expressed grave concern over the destruction of telecom infrastructure, including fibre optic cables, generators, and other essential components. She noted that the Executive Order signed on June 24, 2024, designates telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), officially making any form of interference, vandalism, or damage a serious criminal offense.
To support the enforcement drive, Ukoha announced that the NCC had launched a nationwide public sensitisation campaign to highlight the importance of safeguarding telecom, energy, and transport infrastructure.
Vandalism and Theft: Frequent incidents of cable cuts, theft of generators, fuel, and critical components, resulting in widespread service disruptions.
Site Access Denial: Telecom operators facing obstacles from local communities, touts, and government agencies demanding unofficial fees, which delay maintenance and site operations.
Road Construction Damages: Fibre optic cables routinely damaged during construction activities, causing unintended network outages.
Addressing widespread public concerns over data depletion, Ukoha dismissed claims of telecom operators stealing customers’ data. She attributed rapid data usage to phone settings, automatic app updates, background data usage, and hotspot sharing. Subscribers were advised to manage their data consumption by adjusting device settings, disabling automatic updates, securing hotspots, and limiting high-resolution streaming.
Commending the media’s role in educating the public, Ukoha emphasized the NCC’s commitment to partnering with the NUJ to ensure the dissemination of accurate information. She disclosed plans for specialized training programmes for journalists in Lagos and Abuja and reiterated the Commission’s resolve to expand affordable internet access to underserved regions.
Also speaking, Mallam Yakubu Musa, Head of Corporate Communications at the NCC, reaffirmed the Commission’s longstanding partnership with the media in promoting consumer awareness and sector transparency.
In her remarks, Comrade Grace Ike, NUJ FCT Chairman, called for deeper collaboration between the NUJ and NCC in areas of public sensitization, internet accessibility for journalists, and training initiatives. She lauded the Commission’s leadership in regulating Nigeria’s dynamic telecom industry and requested support for the Union’s upcoming Press Week and capacity-building programmes.
This enforcement initiative follows President Tinubu’s July 2024 Executive Order, offering a robust legal framework to protect telecom infrastructure nationwide, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery and the sustainability of Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy.
