Stakeholders To Brainstorm On Implementation Of CNII Bill & Sustainability At ALTON/NITRA Forum
By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West, Nigeria
As the telecom industry grapples with the challenge of how to secure its infrastructure and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected, following the recent Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) status granted it by the Federal Government, the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) has called for an all-stakeholder approach.
The umbrella Association for technology reporters in Nigeria, NITRA, in a statement announcing a joint-industry forum, being organized in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), noted that mere declaration of the CNII order could not solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues were first resolved by operators. NITRA further disclosed that the forum would bring stakeholders together to address pertinent issues and questions begging for answers.
Scheduled to hold at CitiHeight Hotel, Ikeja on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the event, tagged “Industry Sustainability And CNII Conference 2025 – Way Forward” will gather stakeholders to discuss the practical way forward, noting that passage of the Bill along will not achieve desired results.
According to the organisers, questions that stakeholders will provide answers to at the event include:
Ø How do we ensure that this law is implemented to the letter?
Ø Are there areas worth looking into once more, or is the Bill perfect as it is?
Ø What are the roles of each stakeholder in the industry – Federal, States, Operators, Consumers, and other actors?
Ø Are individual telecom companies and service providers keying into the CNNI provisions, and how?
Ø What are the roles of regulators in ensuring public compliance to the Bill?
Ø How do we ensure security?
Ø What is the place of collaboration?
Ø Publicity: how much of the CNII provisions are the public aware of?
Ø How can we sustain the growth and development of telecommunications in Nigeria?
The Panel Discussion sessions will look into some of the questions arising from industry sustainability and CNII implementation.
Expected at the event are the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, network operators, security agencies, regulators, the media, infrastructure companies and decision makers in private and public firms, among other guests.
NITRA’s statement reads in part: “It is a known fact that the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is crucial to the survivability of a nation, and that the destruction or disruption of these systems and communication networks would significantly affect the economic strength, image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety.”
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, had in a forum, stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and tech-upgraded installation to prevent vandalism and theft.
Engr. Asebayo highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers, fibre cables and poles; community resistance to infrastructure projects; unauthorised installation of infrastructure without government approval; malicious destruction of telecom infrastructure; among other challenges to be curbed.
Chairman of NITRA, Chike Onwuegbuchi, spoke of the importance of the Industry Sustainability and CNII Conference, noting that industry stakeholders needed to come around a table to broker an understanding on how to secure telecom infrastructure, standing on FG’s proclamation on CNII.
Mr. Onwuegbuchi noted that with the CNII Bill in place, stakeholders would have to formulate measures to be taken to implement the provisions of the Bill and enforce compliance adding these wouldl be the outcome of the forum to be held in Lagos.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum, which would have other industry Associations also make their inputs, would afford the public opportunity to share their thoughts, especially on the security of infrastructure in their localities.
