The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has condemned the persistent vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure across the country, describing it as an act of economic subversion that threatens national development.
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Speaking on Wednesday at the inaugural Annual Workshop for Attorneys-General on Emerging Issues in the Communications Sector, held in Lagos, Fagbemi stressed the urgent need for coordinated legal action to address the menace.
The workshop, organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was themed “Building and Driving Synergy in Regulating Communications for the Digital Transformation of Nigeria.”
Fagbemi warned that the destruction of telecommunications infrastructure, particularly in conflict-prone regions, poses a serious challenge to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
“We must ensure that those who willfully destroy or vandalise infrastructure are held accountable. As the saying goes, offenders must be brought to book or the book brought to them,” he said.
Highlighting the dynamism of Nigeria’s communications sector, Fagbemi cited NCC data indicating over 220 million active voice subscriptions and a broadband penetration rate exceeding 32 per cent as of the first quarter of 2025.
“These connections enable digital education, financial inclusion, and e-governance. Yet, we face persistent threats such as infrastructure sabotage, regulatory overlaps, inconsistent policy environments, and burdensome multiple taxation at all levels of government,” he said.
The AGF referenced the 2023 vandalism of telecom sites in Kano as an example of how such incidents can destabilise communities and roll back digital progress.
To combat these challenges, Fagbemi advocated for deeper collaboration between the executive, legislature, and judiciary to enhance enforcement of infrastructure protection laws. He also urged state governments to adopt positive reforms such as Anambra State’s unified right-of-way policy, which reportedly led to a 13 per cent increase in fibre optic deployment within six months of implementation in 2023.
Fagbemi further proposed the creation of a federal–state regulatory coordination forum and joint enforcement mechanisms to make legal protections more effective and consistent nationwide.
He also urged attorneys-general across the country to provide constitutionally sound legal advice to their state governments on digital policies and promote alternative dispute resolution frameworks in the telecom sector.
“Good governance is not just about laws on paper. It is about implementation, and implementation depends on the integrity, resolve, and collaboration of all of us seated here today,” he added.
In his remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, echoed the AGF’s concerns and called for a collaborative approach to tackling the legal, regulatory, fiscal, and operational challenges in the communications sector.
Dr. Maida identified key priorities such as reviewing the Nigerian Communications Act (2003), streamlining taxation, addressing regulatory overlaps, and strengthening protections for Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
According to him, the communications sector is a vital enabler of innovation, commerce, governance, and inclusion, but its full potential can only be realised through a Whole-of-Government approach.
He said the workshop was designed to engage legal stakeholders on pressing sectoral issues and to foster stronger partnerships that will support Nigeria’s digital transformation.
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