Nigeria’s push for wider broadband coverage is facing serious setbacks as telecommunications operators recorded more than 3,200 cases of equipment theft between January and August 2025. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also confirmed 19,384 fibre cuts and over 19,000 incidents where telecom companies were denied access to their infrastructure sites during the same period.
These disruptions have led to prolonged service outages, increased operational costs, revenue losses, and delays in network restoration, further straining an industry already contending with high energy costs and multiple taxes.
Speaking at a stakeholder roundtable in Abuja, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman stressed that safeguarding telecom infrastructure must now be treated as a national security priority. He referenced the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure signed in June 2024, which empowers law enforcement agencies to prosecute vandalism and sabotage of telecom facilities.
To enforce this mandate, the NCC has formed a Telecommunications Industry Working Group in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Nationwide campaigns across television, radio, social media, and local communities are also underway to raise public awareness against vandalism.
According to the Commission, ONSA has dismantled several cartels involved in equipment theft over the past two years, with ongoing mediation and prosecution efforts aimed at protecting what it calls “Nigeria’s digital lifelines.”
However, significant challenges persist. The industry continues to grapple with:
• Fragmented right-of-way regulations across states
• Inconsistent enforcement of protection laws
• Poor coordination with road and utility authorities
• Multiple taxation and rising security costs
• Lengthy permitting and approval processes
Stakeholders warn that continued sabotage and bureaucratic barriers will hinder broadband expansion, which is central to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
For small businesses increasingly dependent on digital platforms, these disruptions affect internet reliability, transaction systems, e-commerce operations, and remote work. As telecom companies divert funds to repair and security measures, operational costs may trickle down to consumers and SMEs through higher data prices or reduced service quality. Reliable broadband is essential for MSMEs to scale, and continued vandalism threatens that foundation.
“Broadband is central to Nigeria’s economic future,” the NCC chief warned, calling infrastructure protection non-negotiable for national development.
