Stakeholders Warn against Infrastructure Meltdown

Nigeria’s aspiration to transform into a $1 trillion digital economy is under serious threat, as telecom industry stakeholders revealed that infrastructure vandalism is costing the nation an estimated $50 billion annually.

According to them, the alarming figure is more than twice the country’s entire capital expenditure budget. The revelation came during the 21st edition of the Titans of Tech Conference, where experts painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s digital future, insisting that it will affect economic growth unless urgent reforms are made.

Speaking at the conference, which held in Lagos recently, Cybersecurity expert Chidi Ibisi, said Nigeria recorded 1,812 cases of telecom infrastructure disruptions within just six months. He disclosed that a staggering 65 per cent of the disruptions stemmed from government construction projects and the imposition of illegal levies, ironically by the same authorities that issue operating licenses to telecom companies. “We are literally sabotaging our own digital progress,” Ibisi remarked.

Another speaker Dr. Tola Sorenike, shared a disturbing account from the field involving a serial extortionist in Delta State who repeatedly cut fiber optic cables to demand payments. “We had no choice but to put him on a monthly stipend just to secure our installations,” Sorenike said. He also pointed out that such incidents are widening Nigeria’s broadband access gap, excluding over 45 million students from digital learning and crippling the rollout of critical telemedicine services.