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Nigeria’s CNII protection faces enforcement, legal gaps, experts warn – Technology Times
Nigeria’s drive to secure its Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is coming under renewed scrutiny, as industry and policy stakeholders warn that weak enforcement, limited legal backing, and low public awareness are undermining efforts to protect the country’s digital backbone.
At a communications infrastructure summit convened on Thursday in Lagos by Advocaat Law Practice, experts say that while Nigeria has made policy advances in safeguarding telecoms and digital assets, implementation remains inconsistent and, in some cases, ineffective.
“For anyone to access a base station and remove components, that individual must have a good understanding of the environment and equipment. That points to a failure in awareness and protection systems,” he says.
Enforcement gaps threaten CNII gains
Benito Eze, Assistant Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says infrastructure protection efforts must extend beyond policy pronouncements to operational execution.
“The assignment of infrastructure protection should be all-encompassing. There is lack of collaboration and issues around training—training to meet modern threats and the challenges in protecting digital infrastructure,” he says.
His remarks highlight systemic gaps, including weak inter-agency coordination, evolving threat vectors, and insufficient capacity building among enforcement personnel.
Stakeholders at the summit identify vandalism and sabotage of telecoms infrastructure as persistent risks, often enabled by insider knowledge and low public awareness of the consequences.
Eze calls for grassroots advocacy to bridge this gap.
“What I will suggest is grassroots advocacy to enable Nigerian citizens to understand the impact of damaging this infrastructure,” he says.
He adds that the technical nature of telecoms infrastructure attacks suggests that perpetrators often possess operational knowledge of network environments.
“For anyone to access a base station and remove components, that individual must have a good understanding of the environment and equipment. That points to a failure in awareness and protection systems,” he says.
Legal experts are also questioning the robustness of Nigeria’s current CNII framework. Rotimi Akapo, Partner and Head of the Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) practice at Advocaat Law Practice, argues that enforcement remains the weakest link.
He raises concerns over whether vandals are being effectively prosecuted and whether existing penalties are strong enough to deter future attacks.
“What we’re looking at here is an executive order. In the hierarchy of laws, an executive order is not on the same level as a statutory instrument—it is a subsidiary instrument,” Akapo says. “We can definitely do a lot better to meet global standards.”
According to him, Nigeria’s reliance on executive directives to drive CNII protection leaves critical gaps when compared to jurisdictions with stronger statutory frameworks.
Akapo also points to fragmented institutional coordination as a structural weakness. Despite the involvement of multiple agencies, ranging from regulators to security bodies, collaboration remains limited and often siloed.
“Are these institutions working effectively together? Do they need a unified framework to ensure implementation and enforcement are no longer fragmented?” he queries.
The lack of a harmonised operational model, stakeholders say, continues to dilute the impact of existing policies.
CNII framework: progress and limitations
The summit, themed “Operationalising the Critical National Information Infrastructure Framework: Lessons, Achievements, Gaps and Next Steps,” reviews Nigeria’s progress in protecting critical digital assets while identifying persistent implementation challenges.
Nigeria’s CNII framework is designed to identify and secure systems, networks, and infrastructure whose disruption could significantly impact national security, economic stability, and public safety.
Momentum for the framework increased following the Federal Government’s 2024 executive order designating telecommunications infrastructure as critical national infrastructure. The move builds on provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, which criminalises attacks, vandalism, and unauthorised access to digital systems.
Under the CNII designation, it is illegal to damage or interfere with telecoms infrastructure, with penalties including fines and imprisonment. The framework also mandates collaboration among government agencies, operators, and security institutions.
High stakes for Nigeria’s digital economy
Stakeholders say that while the CNII designation marks a significant policy milestone, its effectiveness will depend on enforcement, legal strengthening, and coordinated execution.
Telecoms infrastructure vandalism has long disrupted service delivery, increased operating costs for network providers, and degraded connectivity for millions of Nigerians.
As Nigeria deepens its digital transformation agenda, experts warn that failure to close enforcement and coordination gaps could expose critical systems to continued risk—undermining both national security and the growth of the digital economy.
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Lagos is set to erupt this Sunday as the Bet9ja Foundation Ex-Internationals Cup comes to a thrilling close. Football legends, fans, and dignitaries will converge on the city for a grand finale that promises nostalgia, entertainment, and purpose all in one package.
All the action will take place at the iconic Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Sunday, 23rd August. The venue, known for producing some of Nigeria’s finest talents, will host two blockbuster games that will bring back memories of the golden eras of Nigerian football.
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The day kicks off with the third place match at 12pm between FC Okpara and FC Alloy. It’s a battle of pride and bragging rights, as both teams look to finish the tournament on a high and give fans a taste of classic Nigerian grit and skill.
Then comes the main event. The Final at 3pm will see FC Babington take on FC Enegwea in what is expected to be a pulsating encounter. Expect fireworks, tactical battles, and moments of magic from players who once carried the nation’s hopes.
Leading FC Babington is Bode Babington, a former Nigerian professional goalkeeper. He notably featured for Stationery Stores FC and Julius Berger FC, and represented Nigeria at the youth international level, including the 1995 Africa Youth Championship. His leadership between the sticks made him a fan favorite in the local league.
On the other side, FC Enegwea mentored by Taiwo Enegwea. He played for Lagos YSFON, Eagle Oil, First Bank and Union Bank, and climbed through the ranks to represent Nigeria at the U17, U20 and senior level. A true product of grassroots football, Taiwo embodies the pathway the Bet9ja Foundation is working to strengthen.
FC Alloy draws its name and inspiration from Alloy Agu, a former Nigerian goalkeeper and a key part of the golden generation of the late 1980s and 1990s. Agu represented Nigeria at multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and was in the squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. After playing in Nigeria and in Belgium with RFC Liège, he transitioned into coaching and has served as goalkeepers’ coach for the Super Eagles.
FC Okpara honors Godwin Okpara, a former defender who rose to prominence in the 1990s. He enjoyed a successful club career in Europe with Paris Saint-Germain and later RC Strasbourg, where he was known for his strength, versatility, and consistency. Okpara also earned caps for the Super Eagles and remains active in football and community development after retirement.
Beyond the scores and trophies, the Bet9ja Foundation Ex-Internationals Cup is about impact. The initiative supports ex-internationals with welfare programs, medical assistance, and mentorship for young players. It’s a reminder that the legends who gave us unforgettable moments are still giving back to the game.
Deborah Moses, a graduate trainee at United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), has described her interaction with the UBA chairman Tony Elumelu as a long-cherished dream.
Ms Moses attracted the attention of the bank’s Chairman, Tony Elumelu, after she shared observations and ideas on how the lender could address recurring problems faced by its customers.
Ms Moses made the observations on Thursday during a question-and-answer session at UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP), where she spoke about her experience during her on-the-job training (OJT).
She told Mr Elumelu, who is finishing his tenure as the bank’s chairman in August, that many UBA customers repeatedly encounter similar problems but often do not know the documentation required to resolve them before visiting a branch.
According to her, this often leaves customers having to return home to obtain the required documents before their complaints can be addressed, creating frustration and discouraging some from returning to the bank.
“During my OJT, I observed that our customers all have repetitive problems. They will come back for the same complaints, and then most of them do not know the required documentation that they need to bring so that their problems would be attended to smoothly.
“Mostly, they will realize that the customer service will now tell them, so you need this and you need that. Please, can you go back and bring it? And they’ll be like, I don’t have time. I cannot come back to this bank again. That’s a very big problem,” she said.
Ms Moses therefore suggested that the financial institution introduce a “UBA journey guide” for customers during onboarding, containing information on the documents and steps required for different banking-related complaints and requests.
“So I want to suggest, how about we have a UBA journey guide for our customers during onboarding, when they are registering with us. We give them maybe a PDF that contains what you need to do at a particular time,” the graduate trainee said.
She explained that the guide could be available in both digital and hard-copy formats, particularly to accommodate customers who are less comfortable with digital products.
The guide, she said, could cover issues such as changing a phone number and the documents customers need to bring to the bank to ensure prompt and smooth responses to their requests.
“And we can also have it in hard copy for some of our customers who do not really like the digital product.
“This way, they are informed of what they need to bring to the bank. They don’t always have to come and go back or have to come,” she said.
Ms Moses, an agricultural economics and extension graduate, also proposed that the lender create a department responsible for capturing customers’ experiences in real time across its branches.
She said such a system would enable the bank to track the number of customers visiting its branches, those attended to and those who were not, while identifying recurring complaints.
“At the end of the day, we know this number of people came to the bank; these people were attended to, and these were not, at the branch level. Daily reports, in a way, will help us know the recurring problems, the ones that are the highest, and then we will know how to solve them and reduce inflow,” she said.
Reacting to Ms Moses’ suggestions, the UBA chairman, Mr Elumelu, invited the graduate trainee to the podium, extolled her ideas and exchanged a handshake with her.
“If we hand over to people like you in UBA, we will be safe,” Mr Elumelu said, expressing his enthusiasm to continue monitoring her career at the bank.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post on Friday, Ms Moses said the moment reinforced her belief that ideas, initiative and the courage to speak up can create an impact, regardless of where one is in their career journey.
READ ALSO: UBA strengthens Africa’s future leadership pipeline, graduates 374 young professionals
“I always imagined the day I’d shake hands with the outgoing Chairman. Yesterday, I got more than a handshake; I got a hug, encouragement, and his recommendation.
“During my GMAP OJT, by the Grace of God, I identified a problem, suggested a solution, and dared to speak up. He loved the idea.
“That moment reminded me that ideas matter, initiative matters, and your voice can create impact; regardless of where you are in your journey,” Ms Moses added.
The UBA graduate trainee previously worked as a Human Resources Assistant at Bank of Agriculture (BOA) after graduating in 2023. She also worked with NEAT Microcredit before joining the UBA internship programme.
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