The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has reiterated that it is determined to operationalise President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order, which criminalises the damage or tampering to critical national infrastructure, particularly telecom facilities.
The enforcement is aimed at addressing the rising incidents of vandalism, theft, and obstruction at telecom sites that are degrading network service quality across Nigeria.
This enforcement initiative followed President Tinubu’s July 2024 Executive Order designating all telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), providing a robust legal framework to protect these vital assets and ensure uninterrupted service delivery nationwide.
Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Head, Public Affairs at the NCC, stated these when she received in audience the executive of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory Council led by its chairman, Comrade Grace Ike at the NCC headquarters in Abuja.
Mrs. Ukoha, who represented the NCC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr. Aminu Maida, expressed deep concern over the destruction of telecom assets such as fibre cables and other components.
She highlighted that on June 24, 2024, President Tinubu signed an Executive Order officially designating telecom infrastructure as “critical national infrastructure,” thereby making any interference or destruction a criminal offense.
Ukoha said that the NCC is now tasked with implementing this Executive order in the telecom sector, adding that as a result, it has launched a public awareness campaign about the importance of protecting the facilities, which include energy and transport infrastructure.
According to her; “The Commission identified three major challenges affecting telecom operations: Vandalism and theft: Frequent attacks resulting in cutting of cables, stolen generators and fuel, and removal of critical components, severely impacting service for millions.
“Site access denial: Telecom operators often face obstruction from local communities, touts, and government agencies demanding fees, delaying maintenance and refuelling of generators.
“Road Construction Related Damages: Construction work often results in fibre being damaged,” she said.
Commenting on public concerns about data depletion, the NCC spokesperson said that mobile networks do not “steal” users’ internet data subscriptions.
In her words; “Data consumption is often due to users’ phone and app management, such as automatic updates, background app refresh, and hotspot sharing.
“Users should monitor data usage, disable background updates, understand their data plans, change hotspot passwords regularly, and avoid high-resolution downloads and auto-play settings,” she counseled.
Ukoha praised journalists for their role in educating the public and called for continued collaboration between the NCC and the NUJ to share accurate information.
She also highlighted NCC’s efforts to support underserved areas with affordable internet access and to train journalists, especially senior editors, in Lagos and Abuja.
She also said that the NCC is collaborating with stakeholders to reduce accidental damage to telecom infrastructure, especially fibre, during construction, and stressed the need for better coordination as nationwide construction activities increase.
Also speaking, Mallam Yakubu Musa, NCC’s Head of Corporate Communications, reaffirmed the strong partnership between the NCC and the media, acknowledging the media’s role in educating consumers and promoting transparency in the telecom ecosystem.
Earlier in her remarks, the NUJ Chairman for the FCT, Comrade Grace Ike expressed the Union’s desire to build a strategic partnership with the NCC on training, public awareness, affordable internet access for journalists, and promoting transparency.
Ike commended the NCC’s leadership in regulating the industry and emphasized the importance of improving journalists’ access to digital tools.
She also requested NCC’s support for NUJ FCT’s forthcoming Press Week and capacity-building activities.
The NUJ delegation included key officers and media team members, reflecting the Union’s commitment to collaboration.
Also present were several senior NCC officials responsible for communications, media, protocol, and government relations. (Forefront)
