NCC: What telecoms consumers, economy lose when critical information infrastructure is damaged

*The Nigerian Communications Commission, in its ongoing public education and sensitisation, highlights some of the far-reaching implications of damaging the Critical National Information Infrastructure on telecoms consumers, businesses, and the West African country’s economy at large

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

In line with its ongoing nationwide consumer education and sensitisation campaigns against the rising trend across several media platforms, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has highlighted some of the far-reaching implications of damaging the country’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) on telecoms consumers, businesses and the entire economy.

ConsumerConnect reports the NCC, in the latest efforts at education the Nigerian population about the need to protect the critical communication assets against theft, robbery, arson, and vandalism, has described the telecoms infrastructure as a lifeline in terms of the industry’s significance to all other sectors of the economy.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, August 2024, had signed and issued an Executive Order (EO) on Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure as a pressing need to protect the country’s assets from vandalisation, theft, robbery, and other dangers in the ecosystem.

What you lose when telecoms infrastructure is damaged or stolen   

In line with the Commission’s current consumer education and sensitisation campaign to protect the Critical National Information Infrastructure nationwide, the NCC as industry regulatory has itemised some consequences of any damage to the all-important communication assets in the telecoms space.

The NCC said when such critical information infrastructure is destroyed, stolen and burnt, the would be “no calls – Can’t reach loved ones in emergencies”, “No SMS – Alerts and verifications blocked”, and “No Internet –Work, school, and business disrupted.

The telecoms sector regulatory, therefore urged Nigerians to protect telecoms infrastructure.

Efforts at safeguarding critical communication assets in Nigeria

In its bid to evolve a collaborative effort at addressing any damage to the CNII, the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), among other collaborative efforts, have sought to strengthen their collaborative partnership to protect telecoms infrastructure with a focus on a Tower Enumeration Project across the cosmopolitan state.

The collaboration between NCC and LASIMRA has come with a commitment to enforcing penalties and ensuring high-quality Internet access for telecoms consumers in the digital ecosystem.

The agency’s visit is equally said to have marked a significant milestone in strengthening collaboration between the industry regulators towards strengthening the telecoms sector and consumers’ Quality of Experience (QoE) in Lagos State.

A delegation of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, as a follow-up on the partnership between the two organisations, as well visited the NCC Corporate Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT, recently.

Earlier in the year, the telecoms industry stakeholders had converged on Lagos for the 7th Edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo).

The stakeholders at the forum tagged, “CNII: Strengthening Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure through Proactive Implementation and Strategic Coordination”, discussed a number of practical and efficient strategies to safeguard the estimated $75.6 billion Critical National Information Infrastructure in Nigeria.

The theme of this year’s event is, “CNII: Strengthening Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure through Proactive Implementation and Strategic Coordination”.

According to PIAFo, the recent critical stakeholder engagement on CNII protection, aimed to facilitate “a comprehensive and inclusive approach” to implementing the Nigerian Government’s CNII Order, towards ensuring the long-term safety and growth of the telecoms sector.

‘Protect Nigeria’s telecoms infrastructure!’

The Commission, of recent, also activated an enlightenment campaign to sensitise Nigerian public about the collective efforts at safeguarding the CNII and other national assets with USSD messages to telecoms consumers’ mobile phones and others devices.

The Commission, in one of the sensitisation messages, stated: “Protect Nigeria’s telecoms infrastructure! They are critical national assets protected by law.

“Report vandalism to cniireport@ncc.gov.ng or dial 622. Let’s safeguard our future!”

Underscoring the significance of protecting the national information infrastructure in the telecoms environment, the NCC also said in another Short Messaging Service (SMS) that “telecoms infrastructure is a national treasure! Let’s protect it together.

The regulator noted: “To report damage or vandalism, dial 622 or email to cniireport@ncc.gov.ng.”