Nigerian telcos push for tougher penalties as fibre vandalism surges

Nigeria’s telecom operators have raised fresh alarms over the rising wave of fibre and site vandalism, warning that unless tougher penalties are strictly enforced, the stability of digital services nationwide will remain under threat while perpetrators grow bolder.

Despite telecom infrastructure being classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) under a 2024 presidential order, sabotage remains rampant, undermining investments, raising costs, and disrupting the quality of service.

Gbenga Adebayo, President of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said vandalism has become entrenched in some communities, where youths deliberately destroy telecom sites and then extort technicians by demanding payment before allowing repairs.

“There are local communities where, when the youths are tired or they want to drink some bottles of beer, they vandalise the site,” Adebayo said at the launch of the NCC Impact Report on Nigeria’s Telecommunications Sector on Wednesday.

“They wait for the technicians to arrive and demand that, unless payment is made, they will not allow them access to restore those sites. It is so common in some parts of the country that we may have to start abandoning such sites.”

He cited a case in southeastern Nigeria where a single site was vandalised 45 times within two months—nearly once every two days—making service delivery almost impossible. The ripple effects, he added, go beyond the immediate community, cutting off connectivity in adjoining towns that depend on the same hub.

Operators argue that vandalism is also driving up broadband costs. Fibre repairs have to be priced into operations, making it more expensive to move internet traffic within Nigeria than overseas.

“You may find it cheaper to buy bandwidth between Lagos and London than from Lagos to Kano,” Adebayo noted. “The submarine cable is undisturbed for years, but the terrestrial fibre is repeatedly vandalised, repaired, and factored into the price of service. These are issues we must fix to guarantee future availability.”

Under the CNII framework, telecom assets, including fibre networks, towers, and data centres, are legally recognised as critical infrastructure, alongside assets in energy, finance, and health. Willful damage to such facilities is now punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment without the option of a fine. Enforcement is the joint responsibility of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Yet operators insist enforcement remains weak. “Until we start bringing consequences to these actors and bringing them to justice, this will not stop,” Adebayo warned.

At a media briefing in August 2025, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida said the commission is working on advocacy programmes to encourage communities to safeguard telecom sites. 

“Ultimately, we call on all Nigerians to regard telecom infrastructure as a shared national asset—one that underpins banking, healthcare, education, and everyday communication,” he said.

Operators warn that if vandalism continues unchecked, it could undermine Nigeria’s digital transformation goals. From financial transactions to e-learning, e-health, and public safety, much of the country’s socio-economic activity depends on reliable connectivity.

“There is willingness on the part of operators to deploy sites,” Adebayo said. “But when sites are not protected, they remain vulnerable. No matter the investment we make, if these basic things are not addressed, it will compromise quality of service and weaken the resilience of our networks.”

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