By Charles Pemu 
LAGOS – Nigeria’s telecom operators (telcos) have issued a critical alert: the nation’s digital future is at grave risk. Services face imminent collapse, threatening essential sectors and millions of subscribers, unless security agencies drastically escalate efforts to protect vital telecom infrastructure from rampant vandalism and theft.
Despite substantial recent investments in network optimization, driven by approved marginal tariff adjustments, telcos report their efforts are being severely undermined. Vandals are systematically plundering critical components from fiber optic cables and power rectifiers to diesel generators and solar panels with stolen equipment openly traded. Between May and July 2025 alone, major incidents were recorded across numerous states, including Rivers, Lagos, FCT Abuja, Ogun, and Imo, leading to widespread connectivity blackouts and service degradation. Damage from road construction further exacerbates outages.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) describes the situation as a “desperate and urgent hour.” They warn that these “acts of sabotage” directly threaten Nigeria’s economic stability and national security. ALTON has urgently called upon the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to deploy immediate and coordinated resources. The industry asserts it cannot combat this crisis alone, emphasizing that a robust national communication grid is indispensable for banking, security, emergency response, and overall socio-economic stability