Telecom
Cybersecurity: “NCC is Committed to Responsive Regulations for Sustainable Growth of Digital Economy” – Danbatta
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has stated that the Commission is irrevocably committed to boosting the nation’s digital economy through responsive regulations.
Danbatta gave this assurance at the Commission’s 2021 Annual Cybersecurity conference, organised in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) which took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja recently.
The theme of the event was “Building Trust in the Digital Economy through Cybersecurity and Sensitization on the Implementation of the National Cybersecurity policy and Strategy (NCPS).”
Represented by NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Adewolu Adeleke, the EVC said the Commission will continue to be at the forefront of ensuring sound cybersecurity culture built on people, process and technology to bolster digital economy in Nigeria.
Emphasising the centrality of information sharing with stakeholders, Danbatta urged telecom consumers and the public to take advantage of NCC’s pervasive communications campaign planned to create awareness and sensitize the public about the wiles of cyber criminals.
“Our various cybersecurity awareness initiatives and campaigns are helping the public to understand the risks in digital space and how to reduce the vulnerabilities that adversaries can benefit from.
“Our collective resolve is to continuously boost trust and confidence in our digital economy by ensuring adherence to sound cybersecurity culture and hygiene, internally and with external partners as well as stakeholders,” the EVC said.
He explicated on the increasing dynamics in the digital space by informing the audience that the Commission recognizes the importance of ensuring and instituting appropriate cybersecurity measures to derive meaningful gains from the emergent digital economy.
Danbatta asserted: “The growth of digital economies is changing how “trust” is valued by institutions, businesses, and the public. The increase in technological advancement has also resulted in increase in cybercrimes, as well as identity theft and fake news campaigns that have introduced fresh dimensions that affect the notion of trust in the digital era”.
Giving a sharper voice and focus to trust and confidentiality while online, the NCC Chief Executive stated that trust and confidentiality promote a healthy digital environment, as gleaned from global best practices in order to guarantee the privacy and integrity of digital data.
He said to improve digital trust and confidentiality, the digital economy should be built on trusted technologies and partnerships, ensuring strong cybersecurity that rides on public’s confidence, security, privacy and safety to bolster responsive regulations, transparency, accountability and digital governance.
“Acceleration of innovations and enterprise in the digital space amplify vulnerability opportunities, which malicious parties are quick to exploit, thereby slowing down the gains of digital economy. Notwithstanding, strong cybersecurity will have the advantage of reducing the surface of vulnerabilities in the digital economy that can be exploited. Thus, sound cybersecurity is a stimulus for secure and prosperous digital economy,” he said.
Speaking further, Danbatta affirmed that the launching of NCC Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC CSIRT), which is the telecoms sector’s version of the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team (ng. CERT) is a testament of the Commission’s resolve to promote a healthy digital environment in the telecom sector.
Danbatta called on cybersecurity stakeholders to key into the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021, and accelerate the adoption of its various components as cybersecurity is a collective responsibility and no single government, business or individual is immune or can do it alone.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), who was represented by the Director, Communications at ONSA, Brigadier General Samad Akesode, recognises the commitment of the Commission in creating awareness on the implementation of national cybersecurity policy and promised even greater collaboration of ONSA with the NCC on the nation’s cybersecurity drive.
The event was attended by people from the academia, including the Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Chairman and other members of NCC Board of Commissioners, representatives of Chairman EFCC, and representatives of Directors General of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Other attendees and participants include Directors and top management staff from many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, key players in the telecom ecosystem (including ALTON and ATCON), telecom companies, ICT firms, cyber security experts as well as representatives of institutions and agencies in the security governance sector, development enthusiasts, journalists and other communication professionals.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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