The Federal Government has been urged to prioritize Nigeria’s telecom sector in foreign exchange allocation through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and enhance security for vital telecommunication infrastructure.
This call comes from a newly released report by research and intelligence firm, SBM Intelligence, which highlighted the growing challenges threatening the telecom industry — including widespread fibre cuts, vandalism, theft, and poor infrastructure protection.
The report urged the government to incentivize private sector investment in telecom expansion, stressing the need to eliminate prohibitive right-of-way costs and the burden of multiple taxation currently stifling the sector’s growth.
In a sharp critique, SBM Intelligence also took a swipe at Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, over what it described as poor handling of some industry issues. The report suggested more deliberate policy interventions to support operators struggling under economic strain and infrastructure sabotage.
SBM also recommended the creation and implementation of a robust, enforceable mechanism to protect Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). This includes assigning clear enforcement responsibilities to security agencies and establishing accountability frameworks to address persistent sabotage.
The report added that incidents of fibre optic cable cuts, equipment theft, and general vandalism are rising, threatening national digital ambitions and the quality of service delivery for millions of Nigerians.
Analysts warn that unless these issues are addressed urgently, Nigeria’s telecommunications backbone, vital for economic resilience and innovation, could suffer long-term damage.
