Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is on the brink of a severe crisis as the rising wave of vandalism and theft targeting critical infrastructure threatens to cripple operations and disrupt services nationwide.
This stark warning came Thursday from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), which urged the Federal Government to take immediate action to avert a potential sector-wide collapse.
In a joint statement signed by ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, and Publicity Secretary, Damian Udeh, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as an “unprecedented increase” in the sabotage of telecom facilities across several states.
The statement noted that since the Federal Government’s recent policy interventions aimed at stabilising the industry, operators have committed significant resources into expanding and upgrading network infrastructure—only to face renewed threats from systemic vandalism.
“Between May and July 2025, we recorded multiple incidents of vandalism across cell sites in Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, and several others,” the statement read. “These acts have led to service blackouts, network congestion, and severe disruption for millions of subscribers.”
Among the most affected assets are power cables, rectifiers, fibre optic cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems. ALTON said these components form the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy and national security architecture, and their continuous theft is posing a serious risk to both.
The association also linked the crisis to a booming black market for stolen telecom equipment. “Cables are being resold in open markets, batteries and solar panels from base stations are ending up in homes and offices, and fuel siphoned from generators is traded on the grey market,” ALTON stated, adding that anyone purchasing such items is “not just complicit, but part of the crime.”
ALTON reminded the public that telecom infrastructure is officially recognised as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) under the Federal Government Gazette No. 133, Volume 108, dated March 17, 2021, making the destruction or illegal possession of such assets a serious criminal offense.
Beyond vandalism, ALTON flagged another growing concern: frequent and uncoordinated road construction activities that damage underground fibre optic cables. It noted that such disruptions, often due to poor planning or negligence, have become another leading cause of service outages and huge financial losses.
Calling for an urgent national response, the body appealed to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the DSS, and the NSCDC to deploy adequate security around telecom assets. It also urged state governments, regulators, and civil society to collaborate in protecting this critical infrastructure.
The association commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for establishing a dedicated reporting channel—protect@ncc.gov.ng and the short code 622—for citizens to report vandalism and suspicious activity.
“This is a desperate and urgent hour,” ALTON warned. “The industry cannot fight this battle alone. We need coordinated national action to protect our digital future.”
