Nigeria’s Federal Government has officially designated digital infrastructure as critical national infrastructure through the release of the ‘Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024.’ This gazette aims to safeguard Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) within the telecom sector.
The bill for CNII, prompted by industry advocacy from the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), was deliberated in the National Assembly and forwarded to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approval.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, announced the release of the legislation on his official X handle yesterday:
“This is a significant step that will strengthen and protect investments in the ICT sector by reducing incidents that could damage our technological systems, infrastructure, and networks. The security and protection of these CNII is a priority for this administration and will help improve the quality of telecom services, which has often been affected by disruptions and intentional damage.
“This gazette now makes it an offense to willfully damage assets such as telecommunications towers/sites, switch stations, data centers, satellite infrastructure, submarine and fiber optic cables, transmission equipment, e-government platforms, databases, and more.”
Dr. Tijani also emphasized that the government is committed to fostering a supportive environment and policies for the digital economy.
ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo praised the Minister, as well as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their roles in ensuring the gazetting of the document:
“With the official gazette on CNII, the willful destruction of telecom facilities across the country will have to cease, as the document outlines consequences for those who engage in such damage. The arbitrary shutdowns of telecom sites by state government agencies will also end, thanks to this gazetted document on CNII in telecommunications,” Adebayo said.
Adebayo called for effective implementation of the document, noting that while Nigeria has numerous government orders across different sectors, implementation has often been lacking:
“If the CNII document is properly implemented, vandalism of telecom infrastructure will be curtailed, and arbitrary site closures by government agencies will stop. This will lead to a more stable and effective telecom industry for everyone,” Adebayo added.
