Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is considering imposing sanction on any road contractor that destroys telecommunications metro fibre across the country.

Idris Olorunnimbe, chairman, Board of Commissioners, NCC, stated this at congratulatory visit to the Chairman by members of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in Lagos yesterday.

According to him, “I think what we need to do to address the damage of metro fibre by government contractors is simply. He who cuts It must fix it, and we’ll take this message to our state governments.

If any contractor knows that if they damage that critical national infrastructure, their work is going to stop and they are going to be the ones to fix it, they will not destroy it.

Responding, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said up until now, there are no consequences for those infractions, and if there are no consequences, the tendency to continue to do bad is very high.

“Contractors of government carrying out roadworks, whether road maintenance or road expansion, and their machines destroy communications super highway at will, if there are consequences, or if there were consequences some of those actions will not have escalated to the level that we are in.

“What the chairman has said today is very important, if you destroy it you fix it. What we are expecting now is that the consequence of managing those problems will be a lot more, and there will be legal deterrent for people from destroying operators’ fibre. I must emphasize the communication super highway. That’s the highway by which all the signals are carried.

“When this highway is broken, it’s like you have a major bridge that’s broken. You can’t reach east, neither can you reach west. And until we take it as the major super communications highway and so protective, we will continue to be where we are.

“That’s actually what it is. When this highway is broken, we are all affected. So, it’s no longer an infrastructure that is for operators, but it belongs to all of us. If I don’t have service on my phone, some of these are the consequence of this violation that we are seeing.

Earlier in his welcome address, Engr. Adebayo highlighted some of the key challenges in the sector which includes: Daily fibre cuts — often caused by federal and state road construction contractors — are creating enormous economic losses.

• Nationwide service disruptions
• Destruction of critical digital infrastructure
• Loss of assets without compensation
• Banking, education, and security interruptions

There is currently insufficient institutional recourse for operators when these damages occur. A structured pre-construction fibre mapping and mandatory coordination framework is urgently required.

Key Regulatory Priorities for Sector Stability

1. Independence of the Regulator

He said regulatory independence ensures:

• Credible oversight
• Investor confidence
• Transparent decision-making
• Long-term sector stability

Independence must not only exist in law — it must be visible in practice.

“We recommend: Legislative reinforcement explicitly affirming NCC independence

• Clear codification of interaction boundaries between the regulator and supervising authorities
• Operational safeguards insulating regulatory processes from undue influence

Multiple Regulation

Overlapping regulatory interventions by various MDAs on matters already within NCC jurisdiction create:

• Duplicative investigations
• Conflicting directives
• Increased compliance costs
• Regulatory uncertainty

“We recommend structured inter-agency coordination frameworks and legislative clarification reaffirming NCC’s exclusive jurisdiction over telecommunications matters.

Multiple Taxation

Adebayo stated that operators continue to face excessive sub-national taxes and levies.

Enforcement tactics such as site shutdowns directly affect Quality of Service and national connectivity.

A harmonized national telecom taxation framework is essential for broadband expansion and digital inclusion.

Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for a bold transformation of Nigeria’s public service from traditional bureaucracy to digital excellence, as he participated in the official flag-off of the Civil Service Technology Empowerment for Capacity and High Performance (CIVTECH) Programme in Cross River State.

Group photo of the HOS, Mr Orok Okon (middle), Rep of DG NITDA, Dr Aristotle Onuma (3rd left), DG CRS MEDA, Mr Great Ogban other state government officials

The programme, hosted by the Cross River State Government and organised by the Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (CRS MEDA), is designed to equip 2,000 civil servants with critical digital skills required to drive efficient and technology-enabled service delivery.

In his keynote address titled “From Bureaucracy to Digital Excellence: Leveraging Technology for a High-Performing Public Service,” the NITDA DG who was represented by the Director of the Stakeholders Management and Partnership department, Dr Aristotle Onumo, emphasised that the future of governance depends on the ability of public institutions to embrace digital transformation.

“For decades, the public service has been the engine room of national development but in an era defined by speed, data, and innovation, traditional bureaucratic processes are no longer sufficient to meet the expectations of citizens and businesses,” he stated.

He noted that citizens today expect government services to reflect the efficiency and convenience they experience in digital banking, e-commerce, and mobile platforms.

Highlighting the economic imperative of digitalisation, the DG pointed out that Nigeria’s ICT sector contributed nearly 20 percent to the nation’s real GDP in 2024, underscoring the growing role of technology as a driver of economic growth and competitiveness.

While noting that digital transformation is no longer just a technology agenda, he said, “It is an economic agenda, it is a governance agenda, and it is a national competitiveness agenda.”

According to him, the cost of maintaining outdated bureaucratic systems includes delayed decision-making, inefficiencies, limited transparency, and declining public trust.

However, he emphasised that digital excellence provides a pathway to faster service delivery, improved accountability, increased productivity, and enhanced citizen satisfaction.

“This is the shift from paperwork to performance, from process-driven governance to outcome-driven governance,” he added.

Inuwa further emphasised that while infrastructure and systems are important, people remain central to institutional transformation.

“Technology alone does not transform institutions. People do, and digital excellence requires public servants who are digitally skilled, innovation-driven, solution-oriented, performance-focused, and citizen-centric,” he asserted.

Assuring participants that technology is not designed to replace public servants but to empower them, he said, “Technology frees you from repetitive administrative tasks so you can focus on strategic thinking, policy innovation, and national development.”

Outlining NITDA’s strategic priorities, he referenced ongoing efforts to promote digital literacy and skills development, strengthen digital public infrastructure, automate government processes, enhance cybersecurity and data protection, and encourage the adoption of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence across public institutions.

He commended Cross River State for embracing reform and positioning itself at the forefront of sub-national digital transformation, noting that initiatives like CIVTECH align with the Federal Government’s broader vision of building an efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric public service.

“The future of governance is digital. Together, we can transform governance. Together, we can transform Nigeria. And together, we can build a public service worthy of the digital age,” he concluded.

Declaring the flag-ff open, the state’s Head of Service, Mr Orok Okon, reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the capacity of its workforce.

He emphasised that, in an era defined by rapid technological advancement, public institutions must equip their personnel with the skills and competencies necessary to deliver efficient, technology-enabled services.

According to him, investing in human capital is essential not only for improving internal administrative processes but also for ensuring that citizens receive timely, transparent and high-quality service across all sectors.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of CRS MEDA, Mr Great Ogban, expressed appreciation to the Governor and the Head of Service of the state for their consistent commitment to technology-driven workforce development.

He encouraged all shortlisted trainees to show full dedication, emphasising that their participation aligns with the state’s goal of transitioning toward a fully paperless civil service.

He expressed strong optimism about the state’s growing partnership with NITDA, noting that such collaboration will play a pivotal role in accelerating the digital transformation of Cross River State.

According to him, the joint efforts between the state government and NITDA will not only enhance the quality of digital training provided to civil servants, but also to help fast-track the transition toward a more efficient and technology-driven civil service.

With its meteoric rise in data centre development and it accounting for 20% of the global population, Africa still only has 0.6% of global data centre capacity.

This is based on the 2026 Economic Report: Data Centres in Africa, published by Africa Data Centres Association (ADCA), in partnership with Rising Advisory.

The US hosts about 45% of the world’s data centres, while Africa accounts for less than 1% of global capacity.

According to the report, Africa’s active capacity stands at 360MW, with 238MW under construction and 656MW in the pipeline.

By comparison, global active capacity is at 5.5GW, with 1.5GW under construction and a development pipeline of 13.5GW.

Even if all of Africa’s announced projects materialise, says the report, the continent is projected to maintain rather than increase its global share, as hyperscale expansion accelerates elsewhere.

“This is not a catch-up cycle; it is a race to avoid deeper structural marginalisation in global compute,” notes Faith Waithaka, chairperson of ADCA.

“Capacity development in Africa must be approached with a long-term perspective, recognising that infrastructure growth will precede full utilisation as digital ecosystems continue to evolve.

“Sustainability is now a central consideration for the sector. Improving energy-efficiency and integrating renewable energy sources are essential to the viability of data centre operations. Africa is uniquely positioned in this regard, with vast untapped potential across solar, wind, hydro and geothermal resources. Leveraging these assets can support greener data centres, while strengthening energy security and long-term competitiveness.”

Africa’s data centre market is projected by Mordor Intelligence to reach $4.36 billion by 2031, with the South African market considered a “sweet spot” due to its favourable position on the African continent.

South Africa is the largest data centre market on the continent, with55 data centres already built. The country’s geographical position also makes it a strategic hub for regional and international connectivity.

Firms such as Digital Realty-owned Teraco, Vantage Data Centres, Open Access Data Centres and Equinix have expanded their data centre footprint in SA, while hyperscalers Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google and Microsoft Azure have also built local data centre facilities.

The country’s data centre momentum has been highlighted by president Cyril Ramaphosa on several occasions, notably stating that more than R50 billion in investment is expected in the local data centre space over the next three years.

The data centre capacity buildout has also resulted in government calling for accelerated cloud migration, as the state’s digital transformation efforts require greater use of cloud.

Digital rush

The report notes that the global data centre industry is booming as demand for this “digital gold” accelerates.

Valued at $243 billion in 2025, the market is projected to double by 2032, according to the World Economic Forum.

Meanwhile, UN Trade and Development reports that data centre projects accounted for over one-fifth of all greenfield foreign direct investment in 2025.

“This surge reflects the growing need for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud services and digital networks, positioning data centres as indispensable assets driving global growth strategies,” states the report.

“Several converging trends are driving this expansion. Cloud adoption continues to shift workloads off-premises, while AI and big data are reshaping infrastructure needs.”

On the other hand, hyperscale facilities − operated by giants like AWS, Microsoft, Google and Alibaba − have doubled in number roughly every five years, with hyperscale capital expenditure rising nearly 58% year-on-year in 2024.

“Governments across Asia, the Middle East and Africa are offering incentives to attract greenfield projects, recognising data centres as foundations for innovation, skilled employment, and adjacent industries like fintech and AI. Yet Africa faces a stark challenge.

“The continent’s share is expected to expand only in line with global growth, rather than closing the gap. This opportunity has not stayed unnoticed, and investors, expecting high returns, have poured funds into increasing the sector’s capacity by approximately two-thirds.”

Legal steps

According to the report, the heightened activity in the data centre market has resulted in data sovereignty becoming policy reality.

It notes that as of early this year, over 40 African nations have enacted data protection legislation or established data protection authorities, while five additional countries are drafting laws.

Additionally, 15 countries have formalised national AI strategies.

As noted in the ADCA report, the frameworks aim to protect citizens’ rights, while providing legal certainty for investors and digital service providers.

“Governments are increasingly recognising data centres as critical national infrastructure, central to digital sovereignty, financial stability and AI competitiveness.

“As Africa’s digital economies expand, the rules governing ‘where’ and ‘how’ data is stored, processed and transferred are becoming central to economic competitiveness and state capacity.

“Data sovereignty – the principle that data generated within a country should be governed by that country’s laws – has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever, shaping investment patterns, infrastructure deployment and the localisation of digital value chains.”

Even with the frameworks, enforcement capacity often lags legislative ambition, states the report.

“World Bank and GSMA assessments highlight constraints linked to staffing, funding and technical expertise. Yet this enforcement gap also represents a growth opportunity: stronger, more predictable regulation is increasingly seen by investors as a prerequisite for scaling local digital infrastructure. And well-functioning regulation is increasingly functioning as a demand signal.

“Clear localisation and data-protection requirements create predictable demand for compliant, in-country infrastructure, improving bankability for data centre projects and attracting long-term capital.

“Data localisation policies are emerging as part of this broader regulatory maturation. When aligned with market realities, localisation can strengthen oversight, improve accountability and support the development of domestic data centre ecosystems.”