IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, recently hosted a high-level meeting of stakeholders in the telecommunications industry including regulators and law enforcement agencies, at its corporate headquarters in Lagos. The meeting was organized to develop a multi-stakeholder action plan for the protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) assets in Lagos state.
Recognizing the importance
of communications infrastructure as the backbone of national security, economic
growth and social cohesion, the stakeholders at the meeting convened under the
umbrella of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) agreed
on the urgent need for collaborative solutions to ensure the protection of
these vital assets.
The meeting was
attended by senior representatives from the telecommunications stakeholder
groups and regulatory bodies including the Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC), the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators
of Nigeria (ALTON), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria
(ATCON) and the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency
(LASIMRA). Also in attendance were representatives from the Mobile Network
Operators (MNOs), and InfraCos as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps (NSCDC), the security agency tasked with the protection of
Critical National Infrastructure across the country.
Following
extensive deliberations, the stakeholders resolved to establish a working group
dedicated to addressing key industry challenges, including the vandalization
and theft of telecommunications infrastructure, arbitrary shutdown of base
stations, fiber cuts due to road construction and the denial of access by unauthorized
individuals by leveraging technology for real-time monitoring and protection,
strengthening security measures around telecommunication sites and
collaborating more with the security and regulatory agencies to mitigate these
challenges.
The stakeholders
underscored the need to prioritize deterrence and prevention of these incidents
and highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns to sensitize the
host communities and public of the need to protect telecommunications infrastructure
in their localities.
Dapo Otunla,
Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Services Officer of IHS Nigeria, commented, “The protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure
(CNII) has been a critical concern for all industry stakeholders. We are experiencing
daily losses of assets, which significantly impact on the quality of service
delivered to subscribers. Addressing these issues is paramount to sustaining
Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and meeting regulatory expectations.”
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