The resurgence of infrastructure theft battered Nigeria’s $76 billion telecommunications sector in 2025, as increasingly sophisticated criminal networks looted 656 critical power assets.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which revealed this, showed a total of 152 generators and 504 batteries were stolen within the year, raising fresh concerns about network reliability and quality of service.

In the year under review, there were also cases of cables and diesel thefts. This is even as fibre cuts entered another level. There were 1, 344 cases of diesel thefts, 49 cases of vandalism and sabotage

Amid the declaration of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure by the Federal Government to ensure adequate protection, the NCC data showed that theft of telecom has continued even on a larger scale into 2026.

Specifically, data for January and February 2026 reflected a continuation of the trend with 64 batteries and 17 generators stolen in the first two months of the year.

Cables and diesel thefts have continued on a massive scale. In January this year, 160 cases of cable theft were reported, dwarfing 74 recorded in the same period last year.

In February, 151 cases were reported compared with 73 in the same period last year. The same goes for diesel thefts, with a total of 222 incidents recorded between January and February 2026.

Describing the matter as a huge set back for the sector, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Gbenga Adebayo, said the operators have been doing their best by investing in network optimisation and capacity upgrades, following the federal government’s policy interventions early last year to support the industry’s sustainability.

Adebayo however noted that the thefts and vandalization of equipment have been a cog in the wheel of the progress that could have been made.

The ALTON boss emphasised that critical components such as power cables, rectifiers, fibre optic cables, feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems are being stolen or vandalised from active telecoms sites.

The association had earlier disclosed that states such as Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Kaduna, Niger, Osun, and Kwara have been recording the highest number of attacks on telecoms infrastructure.

“These acts of sabotage have significantly disrupted network services, causing widespread connectivity blackouts leading to degradation of services and severely impacting millions of subscribers.

“These are not mere materials, but they are the backbone of our digital economy, security systems, and national communications grid,” he said.

Counting the costs.

Commenting on the development, telecom expert, Kehinde Aluko, noted that through theft, vandalism, and the likes, telecom operators are facing massive financial losses from the direct replacement of stolen hardware.

Aluko said operators reported an average of 1,100 fibre cuts weekly in late 2025, and by January 2026, the industry saw a 900 per cent spike in monthly fibre damage compared to the end of 2024.

He recalled that in 2023, repairs and redundancies cost the industry approximately ₦14 billion. He said current 2025/2026 trends suggested these costs are rising, significantly weakening the Return on Investment (RoI) for mobile network operators.

According to him, the physical destruction of infrastructure directly translates to a poor digital experience for subscribers.

“Vandalism is the leading cause of dropped calls, slow Internet, and total service outages. In May 2025, a peak of 88 major network outages occurred specifically due to equipment theft and fibre cuts,” he stated.

Earlier in the month, the NCC Chairman, Idris Olorunimbe, while on inspection tour of some operators’ infrastructure in Lagos, had said that dropped calls are not deliberate. He said they are usually caused by issues such as fiber cuts, vandalism, or attacks on telecom infrastructure.

“However, we’ve seen data showing a significant reduction in such incidents, and this will continue as the Critical National Infrastructure program expands.

“We are also introducing an accountability framework—anyone who damages telecom infrastructure will be responsible for fixing it. This will encourage more caution during construction activities.

“Let me also add that dropped calls are not in the interest of network operators. Reliable service means longer usage, which benefits them financially. So they are equally committed to minimizing disruptions,” he stated. (Guardian)

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