Emma Okonji
Worried about constant threat to telecoms infrastructure across the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is seeking collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI) of Nigeria to address challenges facing the sector from the legal perspective.
This was disclosed yesterday in Lagos, during the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop for judges on legal issues in telecommunications, organised by the NCC.
In his welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said despite the progress recorded in the telecoms sector in the areas of investments and network expansion, including growth in broadband, which has led to increased broadband penetration from 47.70 per cent in 2025 to 54.30 per cent in 2026, the sector remained threatened with constant telecoms infrastructure attacks that could erode its many gains, if not addressed.
According to him, the workshop, themed: ‘Adjudicating in the Digital Era: The Judiciary’s Imperative in Connectivity, Infrastructure Protection and Online Safety,’ gives a picture of both the challenges and opportunities present in the telecoms sector, and indeed the impact on the wider digital economy.
“The theme of this workshop rightly highlights the Judiciary’s imperative in three critical areas: connectivity, infrastructure protection, and online safety. Telecommunications infrastructure has now been officially designated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), which means that assets of the telecommunications sector are to be provided a whole-of-government and whole-of-society protection, given their crucial importance to our daily lives.
“Despite this, we continue to witness disturbing levels of vandalism, fibre cuts, theft of equipment, and sabotage that disrupt services for millions of citizens and compromise national security,” Maida said.
“As judges, you are increasingly being called upon to interpret laws, adjudicate disputes, and set precedents that will determine how these complex issues are resolved, Maida further said.
He added that “Your decisions will influence regulatory certainty for investors and the overall trust in our digital ecosystem.“
Chairman, NCC’s Board of Commissioners, Chief Idris Olorunimbe, in his opening remarks, said the workshop provided a timely platform for constructive engagement between the judiciary, regulators, law enforcement institutions, policymakers, and industry operators on the legal and governance challenges arising within the digital ecosystem.
He therefore called on the judiciary to move at the speed of 5G in order to legally address the speed of wanton destruction and attacks on telecoms infrastructure.
In his remarks, the Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said: “The judiciary plays a pivotal role in harmonising the right to freedom of expression with the competing demands of privacy and security. Executing this delicate duty invariably requires a sophisticated grasp of the telecommunications environment, the precise interpretation of evolving statutes, and a continuous recognition of how intersecting rights influence Nigeria’s digital trajectory. The workshop thus serves as a vital forum for analysing these emerging complexities within the sector.”
In her keynote speech, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, represented by Supreme Court Judge, Justice Musa Saulawa, said: “As technological innovation continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, legal systems across the world are increasingly required to confront new questions concerning regulation, accountability, rights protection, and institutional responsibility within the digital space.
“The Judiciary cannot remain detached from these developments. The law must respond to changing realities while preserving the principles that sustain justice and social order.”
According to her, experience from other jurisdictions demonstrates the increasingly central role of the judiciary in shaping the legal architecture of the digital age, adding that in Nigeria, the pace of technological expansion makes judicial preparedness particularly important.
