…….. Nigeria recorded over 27,000 fibre cable cuts in 2025, while the country now experiences more than 4,000 cyberattacks weekly.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has stressed the need for collective action in strengthening Nigeria’s enterprise security risk management framework amid growing cyber threats and attacks on critical infrastructure. Speaking through his representative Mrs. Tubolaifa Olujimi, Senior Manager, Risk Management Unit at the maiden Enterprise Security Risk Management Conference organised by the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals (AERMP) at James Hope University, Lekki, Lagos, Maida said protecting Nigeria’s digital ecosystem requires active collaboration among regulators, telecom operators, security agencies, academia and other stakeholders.
Speaking on the theme, “Repositioning Enterprise Security Risk Management in Evolving Global Threat Landscape: A Multi-Stakeholder Imperative,” Maida described telecommunications as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, noting that the sector powers banking, e-governance, healthcare, education and national security. He disclosed that Nigeria currently has over 185 million active mobile connections and more than 153 million internet subscriptions, stressing that the protection of telecom infrastructure has become a national priority.
The NCC boss expressed concern over the increasing wave of cyber threats, revealing that Nigeria recorded over 27,000 fibre cable cuts in 2025, while the country now experiences more than 4,000 cyberattacks weekly. He also warned about growing cases of SIM-swap fraud, ransomware attacks and data breaches affecting critical sectors, adding that nearly 90 per cent of Nigeria’s data is hosted outside Africa, thereby exposing the nation to serious data sovereignty risks.
To address the challenges, Maida highlighted key initiatives introduced by the NCC, including the Telecom Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) Portal developed in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria. According to him, the platform enables financial institutions and security agencies to verify the status of telephone lines and track suspicious activities linked to electronic fraud. He also announced the introduction of the Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector, which mandates telecom operators to adopt stronger cybersecurity measures, including Security Operations Centres, rapid incident reporting and Zero Trust Architecture.
The NCC chief further emphasised the importance of corporate governance and the protection of telecommunications infrastructure classified by President Bola Tinubu as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). He said the Commission is enforcing stricter standards for telecom infrastructure deployment, promoting public awareness, engaging stakeholders and collaborating with security agencies and the National Assembly to curb vandalism and protect critical telecom assets nationwide.
Maida noted that Nigeria’s cybersecurity market, valued at about 230 million dollars in 2025, is projected to rise significantly by 2031 as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and smart city technologies expand across the country. He urged organisations to integrate enterprise security risk management into their governance structures, invest in skilled manpower and strengthen intelligence sharing, stressing that Nigeria’s digital future can only remain sustainable through collective commitment to cybersecurity and risk management.
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