L-R: Hon Justice Habeeb A.O Abiru, Justice of the Supreme Court; Hon. Justice Babatunde A. Adejumo, Administrator, National Judicial Institute; Barr. Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, Chairman Governing Board NCC; Hon. Justice Ibrahim M.M Saulawa, Justice of the Supreme Court, representing the Chief Justice of Nigeria; Mrs Chizua Whyte, Head Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC and Hon Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya, Justice of the Supreme Court, during NCC’s 2026 Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos.
In an era when mobile phones have become banks, classrooms, marketplaces, newsrooms, and even courtrooms, Nigeria’s judiciary is increasingly being called upon to interpret disputes that did not exist a decade ago. South West Editor, JOHN SILAS reports:
From cyber fraud and online harassment to vandalism of telecom infrastructure and questions surrounding artificial intelligence, judges are now confronted with a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem that demands more than traditional legal interpretation.
It requires technological awareness, regulatory understanding, and jurisprudence capable of balancing innovation with constitutional rights.
This growing reality formed the central focus of the 2026 Workshop for Justices and Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications, jointly organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos.
Themed “Adjudicating the Digital Era: The Judiciary’s Imperative in Connectivity, Infrastructure Protection and Online Safety,” the workshop brought together senior judicial officers, telecom regulators, policymakers, security stakeholders, and industry experts to interrogate the legal implications of Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.
What emerged from the high-level engagement was a clear message: the future of Nigeria’s digital transformation may depend as much on the courts as on technology itself.
Opening the workshop, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, has described connectivity as one of the defining realities of modern existence, noting that telecommunications now shape socio-economic growth, industrial development, governance, and national stability.
Yet, according to him, the opportunities presented by the digital revolution are increasingly accompanied by profound risks, ranging from privacy violations and surveillance concerns to misinformation, cyberstalking, identity theft, and algorithmic bias.
For the judiciary, he argued, the challenge lies in preserving constitutional freedoms while responding effectively to emerging threats.
“The Bench plays a pivotal role in harmonizing the right to freedom of expression with the competing demands of privacy and security,” he stated.
Adejumo stressed that judges must now possess a deeper understanding of telecommunications regulation, digital governance, and evolving legal frameworks in order to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities.
He also highlighted the importance of institutional collaboration between the judiciary and regulatory agencies, particularly in addressing persistent threats such as vandalism of telecom facilities, fibre-optic cuts, and risks associated with emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Over-the-Top (OTT) services.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the judiciary, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun described the digital age as one that has fundamentally transformed governance, commerce, education, finance, and social interaction.
According to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, represented by Justice Tanwa, courts across the world are increasingly being required to confront difficult questions involving regulation, accountability, privacy, cybersecurity, online conduct, and digital rights.
“The Judiciary cannot remain detached from these developments,” she declared.
Justice Kekere-Ekun noted that matters involving cyber-related disputes, infrastructure protection, digital communications, and regulatory oversight are steadily occupying a more prominent place within the judicial process.
She emphasized that disruptions to telecommunications infrastructure now carry consequences far beyond private inconvenience, affecting economic participation, public services, financial inclusion, and national stability.
Particularly significant was her observation that online safety presents one of the most delicate balancing acts for modern courts.
Cases involving digital fraud, misinformation, online harassment, privacy breaches, and platform misuse, she explained, require judges to carefully reconcile freedom of expression with public safety and regulatory enforcement.
The Chief Justice also referenced international experiences from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, India, the European Union, and South Africa, where judicial decisions on digital communications and data governance have significantly shaped regulatory practices and public policy.
For Nigeria, she said, judicial preparedness has become indispensable as digital systems become deeply integrated into everyday life.
In a detailed address delivered on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida painted a vivid picture of Nigeria’s accelerating digital transformation.
According to the Commission, Nigerians consumed over 1.42 million terabytes of data in March 2026 alone, compared to 995,000 terabytes in March 2025.
That translates to roughly 45,800 terabytes of data every single day.
To simplify the scale, the NCC explained that current daily consumption is equivalent to Nigerians watching more than 15 million hours of high-definition video every day — an increase of approximately 4.6 million additional hours daily compared to the previous year.
Broadband penetration has also risen significantly, climbing from 47.7 percent in 2025 to 54.3 percent in 2026.
Telecommunications operators, according to the Commission, invested more than $1 billion in network expansion during 2025 alone, deploying thousands of new sites to improve nationwide connectivity and service delivery.
These figures underscore not only the explosive growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, but also the enormous legal and security implications accompanying that expansion.
One of the recurring themes throughout the workshop was the growing recognition of telecommunications infrastructure as a critical national asset.
The Executive Vice Chairman represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Ms. Rimini Makama, disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially designated telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), effectively elevating telecom assets to the level of strategic national security resources.
Despite this designation, the Commission lamented the persistent destruction of telecom facilities through vandalism, fibre cuts, sabotage, and theft of equipment — activities that frequently disrupt services for millions of Nigerians.
The NCC revealed that it is collaborating closely with security agencies, operators, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to intensify infrastructure protection through nationwide asset mapping, public sensitization campaigns, mediation efforts, and enforcement measures.
The Commission also disclosed that collaborative efforts with security agencies have already resulted in the disruption of criminal syndicates involved in the theft and resale of telecommunications equipment.
For the judiciary, these developments raise significant legal questions concerning enforcement, prosecution, sentencing, regulatory compliance, and public accountability.
Beyond infrastructure concerns, another major issue dominating discussions was the growing threat of identity-related cybercrime.
The NCC warned that fraud linked to telecommunications services has become increasingly sophisticated, involving SIM-related crimes, financial scams, identity theft, and cyber-enabled fraud.
To address this challenge, the Commission unveiled its Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a framework designed to track, verify, and mitigate risks associated with SIM card abuse and subscriber identity fraud.
The Commission further revealed that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Bank of Nigeria to strengthen collaboration against electronic fraud, particularly crimes facilitated through mobile phone numbers.
Additional partnerships are expected with agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
These developments, stakeholders noted, are likely to generate complex legal disputes around privacy rights, data governance, surveillance powers, identity verification, and consumer protection — areas where judicial clarity will become increasingly essential.
As internet access expands across Nigeria, concerns over online harms are also becoming more urgent.
Participants at the workshop identified misinformation, hate speech, child exploitation, privacy breaches, and cyber threats as major challenges confronting regulators and policymakers.
The NCC stated that it has reviewed its Internet Code of Practice to strengthen responsible internet governance while balancing innovation with citizen protection.
For judges, however, the legal terrain remains deeply complex.
Questions surrounding freedom of expression, platform liability, censorship, digital accountability, and state regulation of online spaces continue to provoke intense constitutional and human rights debates globally.
The workshop therefore sought to equip judicial officers with practical insights into the technical and regulatory dimensions of these disputes.
Sessions covered areas such as telecommunications infrastructure resilience, artificial intelligence applications, subscriber identity management, cybercrime prevention, online harms, and internet governance.
What became evident throughout the workshop was that the Nigerian judiciary is gradually entering a new era — one where digital disputes may become as common as traditional commercial or criminal litigation.
The courts are no longer dealing solely with physical evidence, conventional contracts, or territorial disputes. Increasingly, judges must interpret laws governing cyberspace, data systems, virtual identities, digital platforms, and emerging technologies whose implications are still unfolding.
The NJI-NCC collaboration reflects growing recognition that judicial capacity-building is essential if Nigeria is to sustain investor confidence, technological innovation, cybersecurity, and public trust within the digital ecosystem.
Equally important was the emphasis placed by the Chief Justice on mutual institutional respect between regulators and the judiciary.
She reminded participants that judicial decisions are not advisory opinions but authoritative interpretations of the law that must guide regulatory conduct.
In many ways, the workshop represented more than a professional gathering. It was a reflection of a broader national transition — from an analogue legal culture to one increasingly shaped by algorithms, connectivity, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital governance.
