*Telecoms stakeholders at the 7th Edition of Policy Implementation Assisted Forum, in Lagos, advocate collective protection of the Critical National Information Infrastructure, to strengthen the emerging Nigeria Digital Economy

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

Nigerian telecoms stakeholders have advocated the need for collective protection of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) to strengthen the Nigeria Digital Economy.

绿帽献妻 reports the stakeholders noted this at the recent 7th Edition of the of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo), which held聽 at BON Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

The industry stakeholders, at the forum with the theme, 鈥淪trengthening Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure through Proactive Implementation and Strategic Coordination”,聽 reemphasised the need for collective efforts at supporting the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and related regulators to adequately protect the $76.5 billion investments in the country’s telecoms ecosystem.

Implementation of CNII Order requires a concerted effort of all stakeholders: Azeez

In his welcome address on the occasion, Mr. Omobayo Azeez, Convener of PIAFo, stressed the summit marked a significant milestone in the industry stakeholders’ collective efforts at enhancing Nigeria鈥檚 digital economy.

Azeez stated:聽 鈥淭oday鈥檚 summit marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen Nigeria鈥檚 digital economy.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of telecommunications operators, associations, regulators, and esteemed ICT journalists who championed the passage of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order.”

The Convener of PIAFo also, noted that the Executive Order (EO), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed August 2024, “is a testament to the power of collaborative advocacy.”

He, therefore, encouraged all telecoms stakeholders redouble their efforts, emphasising that their work is far from being over in safeguarding the critical information infrastructure in Nigeria.

鈥淥ur work is far from being over.

“The CNII Order鈥檚 implementation requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders to protect the over $76.5 billion investments in Nigeria鈥檚 telecom space,” Azeez said

According to him, all stakeholders must leverage this breakthrough to prevent incessant fibre cuts, nationwide services outages, financial losses, to attacks, and ensure the safety of base stations of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in diverse communities and locations across the country.

Azeez averred: 鈥淭he Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is tasked with implementing the CNII Order, but every stakeholder must join forces to achieve success….”

On formulation of ‘fiber protection framework’

Speaking at the 7th Edition of PIAFo, Jude Ighomena, a Senior Manager at Broadbased Communications Limited, a leading telecoms infrastructure provider in Nigeria, specialising in high-capacity fiber-optic networks that power businesses, financial institutions, and government agencies, also restated the need for stakeholders to establish a fiber protection framework, among other recommendations.

Ighomena, in his presentation titled, In his Presentation titled, 鈥淚ncessant Fiber Cuts: The Imperative of Seeking Redress and Compensations in Ensuring Telecoms Infrastructure Safety”, solicited collaboration of the key stakeholders to secure digital infrastructure and ensuring sustainable telecom growth in the economy.

The expert also said: 鈥淲e must engage stakeholders to establish a Fiber Protection Framework, implement real time monitoring, enforce strict penalties, and push for legal compensation mechanisms. “Collaboration is key to securing our digital infrastructure and ensuring sustainable telecoms growth.鈥�

Menace of fiber cuts and impact on digital transformation, national security聽

Ighomena, in his presentation opined that incessant fiber cuts in Nigeria, especially in Lagos State, the economic nerve centre of the country, posed a significant threat to economic growth, digital transformation, and national security.

He averred that protecting telecoms infrastructure is not just the responsibility of service providers but requires a collective effort from the government, regulators, and private sector stakeholders.

Ighomena advocated the formulation of stronger policies, stricter enforcement, and effective redress mechanisms that are聽 essential to mitigate losses and ensure service reliability in the telecoms space.

According to him, continuous disruptions in the system usually, threaten financial stability, business operations, and public trust.

Significance of CNII in Nigerian economy聽

Ighomena described Critical National Information Infrastructure as the telecoms infrastructure that are essential for national security, economic stability, and public safety.

In the telecoms sector, the expert said these include fiber optic networks that serve as the “backbone for communication, financial transactions, e-commerce, and government operations.”

He equally emphasised the importance of Fiber Networks as they facilitate seamless Internet access, mobile connectivity, and digital services across industries.

Any disruptions to fiber infrastructure can lead to nationwide service failures, economic down turns, and security vulnerabilities, he submitted.

Application of legal provisions to safeguard national infrastructure

Highlighting the current regulations for CNII, Ighomena said: 鈥淣igerian laws recognise telecoms networks as CNII, warranting special protections under the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Policy (NCIPP) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) regulations.

“These policies mandate safeguards against willful damage, unauthorised excavations, and vandalism.鈥�

He, however, noted the extant challenges of CNII and suggested measures to address them.

The Senior Manager at Broadbased Communications Limited further stated: 鈥淒espite legal provisions, enforcement remains weak, leading to frequent fiber cuts from road construction, illegal activities, and poor inter-agency coordination.

鈥淧rotection is imperative to sustaining national digital transformation and economic growth.”

In regard to the damaging effects of fiber cuts and attendant disruptions to CNII, Ighomena said network downtime had resulted in significant financial losses for telecoms operators, businesses, and financial institutions.

Besides, e-commerce platforms, banks, and other digital services suffer transaction failures, leading to revenue losses, stated he.

Ighomena explained that fiber cuts directly affect critical services, such as banking transactions, online trading, cloud computing, and emergency response systems.

He noted: 鈥淏usinesses relying on stable connectivity experience operational setbacks; and frequent service interruptions increase customer dissatisfaction, resulting in complaints, churn, and reputational damage for service providers.”

As regards measures to tackle such disruptions in connectivity, he suggested regulatory fines may be imposed due to non-compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Ighomena submitted: 鈥淔iber disruptions create vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. “Communication blackouts hinder security surveillance, emergency response coordination, and government intelligence operations, posing national security risks.”

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