Nigeria’s telecom sector now faces growing strain as criminals repeatedly target critical network infrastructure nationwide.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, thieves stole hundreds of assets across the country in 2025.
Rising Telecom Infrastructure Theft
Specifically, criminals took 656 power assets, including generators and batteries needed for daily network operations.
These assets keep base stations running, especially where public electricity supply remains unstable or unreliable.
As a result, each theft disrupts services, causing outages, dropped calls, and slower data for millions.
Escalating Network Disruptions
Beyond power equipment, criminals also target cables and diesel, which further weakens network performance nationwide.
Although the Federal Government introduced protection policies, attacks have continued and intensified into early 2026.
For example, in January and February, thieves stole dozens of generators and batteries from multiple locations.
Meanwhile, cable theft surged sharply, as reported cases more than doubled compared with the same period last year.
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Similarly, diesel theft remains widespread, and this trend continues to increase operators’ overall running costs.
Industry Response And Risks
Consequently, operators struggle to maintain service quality despite ongoing investments in upgrades and capacity expansion.
In many cases, vandals remove fibre cables, rectifiers, and solar systems directly from active telecom sites.
Therefore, industry experts estimate that operators now lose billions of naira replacing stolen equipment annually.
They also argue that companies must strengthen site security instead of relying mainly on government protection efforts.
Ultimately, as digital reliance grows, these attacks continue to threaten connectivity, economic activity, and national stability.
