By Martin Ekpeke
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has outlined five key strategies it is employing to safeguard the nation’s digital backbone, the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). These measures, designed to translate the Presidential Order on CNII into concrete action, were highlighted by the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, in a keynote address delivered at a recent industry conference in Lagos.
The conference, themed “Critical National ICT Infrastructure and Industry Sustainability – Way Forward,” was organized by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) and the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
In his address, delivered by Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of the Technical Standards and Network Integrity Department, Dr. Maida emphasized that the NCC, as the primary telecommunications regulator, is taking a proactive, multi-pronged approach to protect vital digital infrastructure.
The five steps detailed by the NCC are:
- Stricter Enforcement of Technical Standards: The NCC is reinforcing and rigorously enforcing compliance with technical standards for the deployment and maintenance of telecommunications infrastructure. This includes established benchmarks for laying fiber-optic cables, erecting towers and masts, and routine site maintenance. The goal is to ensure the structural integrity, security, and resilience of the national network.
- Comprehensive Public Awareness Campaign: A public awareness campaign has been launched to educate the public on the importance of the CNII and the negative consequences of infrastructure sabotage. The campaign, which utilizes various media channels, aims to foster a collective sense of ownership and responsibility, positioning telecom infrastructure as a national asset deserving of protection from vandalism, accidents, and negligence.
- Advanced Stakeholder Collaboration: Recognizing that the success of the CNII order depends on collective action, the NCC is fostering collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including lawmakers, law enforcement, the judiciary, state governments, and private sector operators. The commission has hosted high-level engagements and is working to institute Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with key entities like the Federal Ministry of Works to clarify roles and responsibilities and reinforce the urgency of protecting telecommunications infrastructure. The NCC is also coordinating closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for a unified national security strategy.
- Institutionalization of Mediation: The NCC is actively using mediation as a proactive dispute resolution mechanism. By intervening to facilitate consensus, particularly in instances of administrative hurdles or community resistance, the commission has successfully unblocked stalled infrastructure deployments in states like Osun and Kogi, demonstrating that engagement can be a more sustainable path than litigation.
- Selective Enforcement Actions: While prioritizing collaboration and awareness, the NCC stated that enforcement remains an option as a measure of last resort. The commission will deploy enforcement actions only after all other avenues have been exhausted, with the full backing of relevant security, legal, and oversight institutions. The objective is not to penalize, but to preserve the integrity and continuity of national communications systems.
Meanwhile, the NCC has acknowledged several persistent challenges to industry sustainability, including access denial, vandalism, and theft, which result in a significant number of incidents weekly. Other challenges include power supply gaps, Right-of-Way bottlenecks, permit delays for new infrastructure, cyber threats, and security issues in various parts of the country.
To address these issues, the NCC said the way forward rests on five pillars: scaling public awareness and community ownership, improving inter-stakeholder collaboration and information sharing, streamlining permit processes, and strengthening enforcement and deterrence mechanisms with adequate punitive measures for those who damage critical infrastructure.
In conclusion, the NCC said its message is a call to action for all stakeholders to recognize the communications sector not just as an economic driver, but as a national resilience system.
“The cost of inaction is steep,” said Dr. Maida, urging everyone to work together to build a secure, sustainable, and resilient future for Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.