ALTON: FG’s Nod on Critical National Information Infrastructure Will Boost GDP, Improve Service Quality

Emma Okonji

Following last week’s release of the official gazette on Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) by the federal government, which seeks to protect telecoms infrastructure from willful damage and from incessant closure of telecoms sites, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said that the move will lead to significant improvement in service quality, if properly implemented.

ALTON also said the approval would boost telecoms’ contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).   

Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, who gave the assurance, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that the official gazette on CNII clearly spelt out the consequences for any willful damage of telecoms infrastructure, including consequences for incessant closure of telecoms sites by government agencies.

According to Adebayo who is also the spokesperson for telecoms operators in Nigeria, the cost of rebuilding damaged telecoms infrastructure is as high as purchasing new telecoms infrastructure in some cases.

“Therefore, going by the recent government order on CNII, all monies that would have been used in repairing or replacing damaged telecoms infrastructure, will now be invested in network expansion and upgrade. The development will greatly improve the quality of service in the telecoms industry, and boost telecoms’ contribution to GDP,” Adebayo said.

Giving instances about the huge amount of money spent in repairing and replacing damaged telecoms infrastructure in the past, Adebayo said the 2023 sustainability report on the state of telecoms that was sent to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in November last year, clearly explained the challenges of the telecoms sector, especially in the area of investments in telecoms infrastructure. 

In the sustainability report, which THISDAY sighted, ALTON clearly stated that the telecommunications industry has been significantly impacted by a myriad of macroeconomic challenges experienced in recent years.

According to the sustainability report, “The industry is bedeviled with incidences of arbitrary damage to telecommunications infrastructure by construction companies during road construction or reconstruction activities, which are adversely impacting on service quality. The industry also suffered from incidences of theft, vandalism and outright sabotage of telecommunications facilities by social miscreants.”

Adebayo further explained that such industry challenges led to an increase in capital expenditure and a decline in industry investments in 2022, adding that if the order on CNII is well implemented, it will put an end to willful destruction of telecoms infrastructure across the country and also improve quality of service delivery across networks.    

“With the release of the official gazette on CNII, the willful destruction of telecoms facilities across the country in the past will have to stop because there are now consequences as spelt out in the official document for offenders who willfully engage in damaging telecoms facilities. The arbitrary shutting down of telecoms sites by agencies of state governments will also stop, following the release of the document on CNII in telecommunications. All these will lead to network stability, increase in GDP contribution and improved telecoms services,” Adebayo further said.

The federal government, last week, released the official gazette tagged: “Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024,” which seeks to protect Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) in the telecoms sector.

The passage of CNII Bill had been advocated for by ALTON for several years, until it was gazetted and released last week.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who announced the release of the official gazette on his official X handle, wrote: “I would like to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the release of the official gazette, ‘Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024’.

“This is a significant step that will strengthen and protect investments in the ICT sector by reducing incidences capable of damaging the operations and functionality of our technological systems, infrastructure and networks.

“The security and protection of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is a priority for this administration and will help improve the quality of telecoms services, which has very often been affected by disruption and intentional damage. 

“This gazette now makes it an offence to willfully damage assets such as telecommunications towers/sites, switch stations, data centres, satellite infrastructure, submarine and fibre optic cables, transmission equipment, e-government platforms, databases among many others.”

According to the minister, government will continue to work to create the enabling and supportive environment and policies for our digital economy to thrive.