Nigeria’s digital infrastructure is coming under renewed scrutiny as fresh data reveals a sharp rise in network disruptions, raising questions about the effectiveness of the country’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) protection framework barely two years after its introduction.

A new assessment by Advocaat Law Practice, seen by Technology Times, is warning that despite regulatory advances, the backbone of Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem remains vulnerable, with fibre optic networks, the arteries of the digital economy, experiencing escalating levels of damage.

The findings are casting a spotlight on the implementation gaps within the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order, 2024, a landmark policy expected to safeguard assets considered vital to national security, economic stability, and digital transformation.

According to Advocaat, the first quarter of 2026 has brought the challenge into sharper focus, with January alone recording what the firm describes as “a 900% surge in disruptions.” Reported incidents rose from just four cases in December 2025 to more than 40 within a single month.

Disruptions surge despite protective CNII framework

According to Advocaat, the first quarter of 2026 has brought the challenge into sharper focus, with January alone recording what the firm describes as “a 900% surge in disruptions.” Reported incidents rose from just four cases in December 2025 to more than 40 within a single month.

The spike, the law firm says, is not an isolated development but part of a broader pattern of infrastructure vulnerability. Between January and August 2025, more than 19,000 fibre cuts were recorded nationwide, with one major telecoms operator accounting for over 9,200 incidents: an average of approximately 25 disruptions daily.

The economic implications are significant. Telecoms operators in Lagos reportedly incurred losses of about ₦5 billion in 2024 due to infrastructure damage, while nationwide losses over a 12-month period reached an estimated ₦27 billion.

These figures underscore the critical role that resilient telecoms infrastructure plays in sustaining Nigeria’s digital economy, where connectivity underpins sectors ranging from financial services and e-commerce to healthcare and government operations.

Negligence, not sabotage, driving majority of damage

A central finding in the Advocaat Law Practice report is that infrastructure damage is largely driven by systemic issues rather than deliberate criminal activity.

Nearly 60% of disruptions, the firm says, stem from negligence during construction and civil engineering works, including road expansion, drainage projects, and urban development activities.

This points to a persistent coordination gap between telecoms operators and construction firms, where inadequate mapping of underground fibre routes and lack of real-time communication result in accidental damage.

“These realities underscore a critical point: regulation alone is not sufficient; effective implementation, coordination, and industry alignment are essential,” Advocaat says.

The insight aligns with longstanding concerns within Nigeria’s telecoms sector, where operators have repeatedly called for stronger “dig-once” policies, improved right-of-way frameworks, and mandatory infrastructure mapping to prevent avoidable damage.

CNII Order: strong legal framework, uneven outcomes

The CNII Order, signed in 2024, represents one of Nigeria’s most significant policy interventions in the digital infrastructure space. It formally designates telecommunications assets as critical national infrastructure, placing them on par with other strategic systems essential to national functioning.

As previously reported by Technology Times, the framework covers a wide range of assets, including fibre optic cables, telecoms towers, base stations, data centres, internet exchange points, satellites, routers, and transmission networks.

It also recognises telecoms infrastructure as a foundational layer supporting other critical sectors such as banking, healthcare, transportation, and public administration, effectively positioning connectivity as a national security asset.

The Order is anchored in the Cybercrimes Act 2015, which provides legal backing for enforcement, including stringent penalties for interference with protected infrastructure.

These penalties range from long-term imprisonment to life sentences in cases where damage results in loss of life, signalling a shift towards treating telecom infrastructure sabotage as a national security offence rather than a routine criminal matter.

A key challenge lies in translating policy into practice at scale. While the CNII Order establishes clear legal protections, its effectiveness depends on compliance across a wide range of actors, including telecoms operators, construction companies, state governments, and local authorities.

Early gains: arrests, reporting systems, inter-agency coordination

Despite current challenges, the CNII framework has delivered measurable gains since its implementation.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for instance, intensified enforcement efforts in 2025, arresting 112 suspects in the Federal Capital Territory alone for infrastructure damage and securing five high-profile convictions.

Regulatory oversight has also improved. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) launched a dedicated reporting platform in May 2025, enabling real-time tracking of fibre cuts and other disruptions. The system contributed to an 18% reduction in average repair turnaround time in the latter part of 2025.

In parallel, institutional coordination has been strengthened through the establishment of a joint standing committee between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Communications in February 2025. The initiative aims to align road construction activities with fibre deployment plans, reducing the risk of accidental damage.

These measures reflect a growing recognition that infrastructure protection requires not only enforcement but also operational integration across government agencies and industry players.

Persistent gaps: enforcement, coordination, accountability

However, the surge in disruptions in early 2026 suggests that these interventions have yet to achieve full effectiveness.

Advocaat is raising critical questions about the current state of implementation, asking whether enforcement mechanisms are sufficiently coordinated and whether accountability frameworks are robust enough to deter negligent behaviour.

A key challenge lies in translating policy into practice at scale. While the CNII Order establishes clear legal protections, its effectiveness depends on compliance across a wide range of actors, including telecoms operators, construction companies, state governments, and local authorities.

The issue of accountability for construction-related damage is particularly complex. The CNII framework introduces provisions to hold contractors responsible for negligent destruction of telecoms infrastructure, but enforcement requires reliable incident reporting, forensic investigation, and legal follow-through.

In many cases, operators report difficulties in identifying responsible parties or securing compensation, especially in informal or rapidly evolving construction environments.

Institutional architecture and oversight mechanisms

Oversight of the CNII framework is led by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which is tasked with coordinating protection efforts across sectors.

The ONSA is also responsible for facilitating real-time collaboration through mechanisms such as the Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN), a platform designed to enable information exchange between government agencies and private sector stakeholders.

In theory, this architecture provides a comprehensive approach to infrastructure protection, combining legal enforcement, operational coordination, and information sharing.

In practice, however, stakeholders say the system is still evolving, with gaps in data integration, communication protocols, and stakeholder engagement limiting its full potential.

The firm is positioning its upcoming Advocaat Communication Infrastructure Summit as a platform for addressing these challenges, bringing together policymakers, regulators, operators, and other stakeholders to chart a path forward.

The renewed pressure on telecoms infrastructure comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s digital economy, which is undergoing rapid expansion.

As previously analysed by Technology Times in its coverage of the CNII framework, the country is investing heavily in broadband expansion, data centre development, and digital services, with connectivity serving as the backbone of these initiatives.

Projects such as the National Broadband Plan and the ongoing rollout of fibre networks across urban and rural areas are increasing the scale and complexity of the infrastructure landscape.

At the same time, the rise of data-intensive services—including fintech, e-government platforms, and digital media—is placing greater demands on network reliability and resilience.

This creates a paradox: as Nigeria’s digital economy grows, so too does its exposure to infrastructure risks.

Economic and strategic implications

The impact of infrastructure disruptions extends beyond immediate financial losses for telecom operators.

At a macro level, frequent network outages can undermine investor confidence, disrupt business operations, and slow the adoption of digital services.

For sectors such as banking and financial services, which rely heavily on real-time connectivity, disruptions can have cascading effects on transactions, payments, and customer experience.

Similarly, in healthcare and emergency services, connectivity failures can compromise critical operations, highlighting the broader societal implications of infrastructure resilience.

From a national security perspective, the vulnerability of telecom infrastructure raises concerns about the country’s ability to maintain secure and reliable communication channels in times of crisis.

Industry response and stakeholder expectations

Advocaat says Nigeria is at a defining moment in the evolution of its digital economy, where the success of the CNII framework will depend on collective action.

The law firm emphasises that while the regulatory foundation is strong, its effectiveness hinges on alignment across government, industry, and other stakeholders.

Among the key priorities identified are improved coordination between construction and telecoms sectors, stronger enforcement of accountability measures, enhanced data sharing, and increased investment in infrastructure protection technologies.

The firm is positioning its upcoming Advocaat Communication Infrastructure Summit as a platform for addressing these challenges, bringing together policymakers, regulators, operators, and other stakeholders to chart a path forward.

The current situation underscores a fundamental reality: protecting digital infrastructure requires more than legislation.

It demands a systems-level approach that integrates policy, technology, operations, and stakeholder behaviour.

For Nigeria, the CNII Order represents a critical step in this direction, establishing a legal and institutional framework for safeguarding the infrastructure that underpins the digital economy.

However, as the latest data shows, the journey from policy to impact is still ongoing.

The surge in disruptions in early 2026 serves as a reminder that resilience is not a static achievement but a continuous process, requiring constant adaptation, coordination, and investment.

As Nigeria continues to expand its digital footprint, the ability to protect its infrastructure will play a defining role in shaping the trajectory of its digital transformation, determining not only how the country connects, but how securely and sustainably it does so.