Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has explained the steps taken by Federal Government to tackle insecurity, through the telecommunications space.
According to the minister, the issue is “far more technical” than commonly understood.
The telecom sector has been under scrutiny since 2020, when the government introduced the mandatory National Identification Number–SIM linkage to curb fraud, anonymous communication, and crimes facilitated through unregistered lines.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Tijani acknowledged public worry over cases of kidnapping and ransom negotiations allegedly conducted through unregistered SIMs.
“There was an exercise that was conducted by the telcos to clean out all SIMs. The reason the President pushed us to invest in towers in those areas was the fact that we realised there was a special type of technology they [criminals] were using to call,” he explained.
However, he revealed that some criminal networks had shifted tactics, relying on technologies that allow them to route calls across multiple towers, a method that becomes particularly effective in remote or poorly connected locations.
“They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers. That’s why they enjoy living in areas that are unconnected,” he added.
To address these vulnerabilities, the minister outlined a connectivity strategy involving satellite upgrades, fibre expansion.
He noted that Nigeria remains the “only West African country” currently operating its own communications satellites, a capability, he said, the government is now strengthening.
“This is why we are upgrading our two satellites, so that if our towers are not working, our satellites will work,” he said.
4,000 Telecom Towers
The minister also confirmed that the deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers across underserved rural communities would reduce coverage blackspots, exploited by kidnappers and illegal SIM operators, and would be executed in collaboration with Huawei.
“It is why we are investing in fibre, it is why next year this project will start. We are doing it with Huawei, 4000 towers in rural areas,” he said.
The collaborative effort, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council last Wednesday, according to the minister, ”is expected to significantly improve rural connectivity, stimulate commerce and enhance security surveillance in areas currently lacking network coverage.”
Responding to questions about when Nigerians should expect the upgraded satellites to go live, the minister said satellite deployment remains “the third leg” of the broader connectivity operation.
“That one will take longer than the other two. The other two are well in progress,” Tijani added.
Telcoms Shutdown
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had in September 2021 directed telecommunications providers to shut down services in Zamfara State.
The shutdown, according to the commission, became necessary due to the lingering insecurity in the state.
The then-Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, had said the military onslaught against the bandits was yielding tremendous success, especially since the shutdown of telecoms services in the state.
“Zamfara State Government, in efforts to ensure the crushing of the bandits, has requested the closing down of all networks in the state, and this has been effective. The security officials are finding it very easy to deal with the bandits in their enclaves in the forests,” Dosara disclosed at a press briefing in the state.
But in October 2021, the Zamfara State Government directed the restoration of telecommunication services only around the Gusau metropolis, the state capital.
It explained that the restoration of the network in the state capital became imperative following the success recorded in the fight against banditry.
It added that the decision was aimed at easing the hardship faced by both the private and public sectors in the state.
