Nigerian Communications Commission is pushing for enhanced judicial and legal backing to tackle increasing cybercrime, vandalism of telecom infrastructure, and digital security risks as Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly. JUSTICE OKAMGBA reports
Nigeria’s telecommunications regulators and senior judges are seeking closer coordination between the courts and digital governance agencies as rising cybercrime, online abuse and attacks on telecoms infrastructure threaten Africa’s biggest digital economy.
Data from the NCC showed 656 generators and batteries were stolen in 2025, alongside 1,344 diesel thefts and 49 cases of vandalism and sabotage. Earlier figures also indicated more than 50,000 telecom infrastructure destruction incidents over five years.
Industry estimates suggest the disruption is accelerating, with roughly 1,100 fibre cuts reported weekly this year and 445 vandalism incidents logged within an 88-day period tracked by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria.
At a high-level workshop for judges and justices in Lagos last week, legal and regulatory leaders warned that the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem was creating a new generation of disputes and security risks that require a more technologically informed judiciary, stronger institutional coordination and firmer legal protections for critical infrastructure.
