Buhari Approves Security For Telecoms Infrastructure Nationwide

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the provision of security for telecommunications infrastructure nationwide, a statement said on Tuesday.

This development was disclosed by Uwa Suleiman, the spokesperson of the Minister Of Communications And Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

The statement revealed that the office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, have been notified of the president’s directive.

The Nigerian telecommunications industry depends on a number of infrastructure, which play a critical role in the smooth delivery of telecoms services.

These are part of critical national infrastructure because of the important role they play, in ensuring security and in the delivery of other essential services.

The statement revealed that the minister, Mr Pantami, championed efforts to identify telecommunications infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, with a view to protecting them from vandalism and theft, amongst other hazards.

It said the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a massive migration to digital platforms and has increased the level of importance of critical national infrastructure to the sustenance of the economy and the security of the nation.

“We are also working towards the reinforcement of these directives through appropriate regulatory instruments. Dr Pantami specially appreciates the security institutions, and commends the commitment they have demonstrated in securing these infrastructure,” the statement revealed.

The statement highlighted that the implementation of the National Broadband Plan and the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, both unveiled by Mr Buhari, has repositioned the ICT sector.

“This is evident by the recent ‘Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product Report’ released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which showed that the ICT sector contributed an unprecedented 14.07% to the total real GDP in the first quarter of 2020,” it said.