…As Azeez seeks protection of $76.5b investments in Nigeria’s telecom space
From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Jude Ighomena, a Senior Manager at Broadbased Communications Limited, a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider in Nigeria, specializing in high-capacity fiber-optic networks that power businesses, financial institutions, and government agencies, has harped on the need for telecoms stakeholders to establish a fiber protection framework, among other recommendations.
Ighomena who also called for collaboration to securing digital infrastructure and ensuring sustainable telecom growth, was speaking at the 7th edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) which took place at BON Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, on March 20, 2025.
The theme of forum was “Strengthening Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure through Proactive Implementation and Strategic Coordination.”
As part of his call to action, Ighomena said, “We 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 telecom growth.”
Ighomena maintained that the incessant fiber cuts in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos State, posed a significant threat to economic growth, digital transformation, and national security. He stated protecting telecom infrastructure is not just the responsibility of service providers but requires a collective effort from the government, regulators, and private sector stakeholders, adding that stronger policies, stricter enforcement, and effective redress mechanisms are essential to mitigate losses and ensure service reliability.
He called for urgent action saying that the time to act is now adding that continuous disruptions threaten financial stability, business operations, and public trust.
In his Presentation titled, “Incessant Fiber Cuts: The Imperative of Seeking Redress and Compensations in Ensuring Telecoms Infrastructure Safety,” Ighomena started his contribution by ensuring that his audience understood what Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is all about, saying that CNII refers to telecom infrastructure essential for national security, economic stability, and public safety, adding that in the telecom sector, fiber optic networks serve as the backbone for communication, financial transactions, e-commerce, and government operations.
He said that the importance of Fiber Networks facilitate seamless internet access, mobile connectivity, and digital services across industries, adding that any disruption to fiber infrastructure can lead to nationwide service failures, economic down turns, and security vulnerabilities.
On Legal Provisions, he said, “Nigerian laws recognize telecom 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, unauthorized excavations, and vandalism.”
On the challenges of CNII and how to strengthen it, he said, “Despite legal provisions, enforcement remains weak, leading to frequent fiber cuts from road construction, illegal activities, and poor inter-agency coordination.
“Protection is imperative to sustaining national digital transformation and economic growth,” he added.
Speaking on Impact of Fiber cuts on Telecoms service, he looked at Economic Losses whereby Network downtime results in significant financial losses for telecom operators, businesses, and financial institutions. E-commerce platforms, banks, and other digital services suffer transaction failures, leading to revenue losses; Fiber cuts directly affect critical services such as banking transactions, online trading, cloud computing, and emergency response systems.
Further, he said “Businesses relying on stable connectivity experience operational setbacks; and frequent service interruptions increase customer dissatisfaction, resulting in complaints, churn, and reputational damage for service providers. Regulatory fines may also be imposed due to non-compliance with service level agreements (SLAs).
“Fiber disruptions create vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. Communication blackouts hinder security surveillance, emergency response coordination, and government intelligence operations, posing national security risks,” Ighomena emphasized.
Earlier, Omobayo Azeez, Convener, PIAFo, said that the summit marked a significant milestone in the collective efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy. “Today’s summit marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
“I’d 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. This executive order, signed by President Bola Tinubu in August 2024, is a testament to the power of collaborative advocacy,” he said.
He encouraged all telecoms stakeholders to do more as their work is far from being over. “Our work is far from being over. The CNII Order’s implementation requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders to protect the over $76.5 billion investments in Nigeria’s telecom space. We must leverage this breakthrough to prevent incessant fibre cuts, nationwide services outages, financial losses, to attacks and ensure the safety of our base stations.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is tasked with implementing the CNII Order, but every stakeholder must join forces to achieve success, and that explains why we are here today,” Azeez said.
