The Ekiti State Commissioner for Works, Mr Sola Adebayo, has underscored the importance of host communities in protecting critical infrastructure, describing them as the first line of surveillance against vandalism and other criminal activities.
Adebayo made the assertion on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre optic cables, telecommunications equipment and other critical national assets.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Engr. Olukayode Ibijola, the commissioner said communities become active partners in safeguarding infrastructure when adequately engaged and enlightened.
He stressed the need for stronger community engagement strategies and improved channels for reporting suspicious activities capable of threatening public infrastructure.
According to him, the protection of critical national assets requires collective responsibility among government agencies, security operatives, service providers and residents of host communities.
Adebayo also highlighted the role of technology and innovation in infrastructure protection, noting that modern monitoring systems, geospatial mapping, surveillance technologies and digital reporting mechanisms would significantly enhance the safety of public facilities.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ekiti State Command, Mr Toma Matthews Enya, warned that anyone caught vandalising critical national assets would be prosecuted at the Federal High Court in line with directives from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Enya, however, noted that enforcement alone could not solve the challenge of vandalism, stressing that community ownership and public participation remained critical to infrastructure protection.
“When citizens understand that these assets serve their interests, they become the first line of protection rather than passive observers or, in some cases, accomplices,” he said.
Also speaking, a representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Engr. Semiu Olawale, the Emergency Communication Centre Manager, disclosed that between January and March 2026, about 577 network outages were recorded across the country.
Olawale said 222 incidents of theft recorded in January and February 2026 led to the loss of 64 batteries, 17 generators and large volumes of diesel belonging to various telecommunications service providers.
He added that network operators spent more than N13 billion between 2022 and 2023 on repairs to damaged fibre optic cables and telecommunications equipment nationwide.
According to him, the industry also suffered about N12 billion in revenue losses in 2023 due to compensation claims, site relocations and service disruptions caused by vandalism.
He further disclosed that generator and power theft alone cost the telecommunications industry about N2.3 billion in 2025.
Olawale noted that the cumulative impact of vandalism and theft had resulted in site shutdowns, erratic service delivery and industry losses estimated at over 1.5 billion dollars annually.
He described vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure as a major threat to effective service delivery, economic growth and national development.
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