Operators in the Nigerian telecommunications industry remained afloat by thrift in the year 2025, barely escaping the resurgence of infrastructure vandalism, in form of generator, battery thefts, among other criminal activities that nearly crippled the $76 billion sector. According to report, the sector recorded loss of 656 batteries and generators, looted by sophisticated criminal networks in the year under review.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), showed a total of 152 generators and 504 batteries were stolen within the year, raising fresh concerns about network reliability and quality of service. The same year also recorded cases of cables and diesel thefts, as well as increased fibre cuts. The NCC data also showed 1, 344 cases of diesel thefts, 49 cases of vandalism and sabotage.
Amid the declaration of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure by the federal government to ensure adequate protection, the NCC data showed that theft of telecom equipment has continued even on a larger scale into 2026. Specifically, data for January and February 2026 reflected a continuation of the trend with 64 batteries and 17 generators stolen in the first two months of the year.
Cables and diesel thefts have continued on a massive scale. In January this year, 160 cases of cable theft were reported, dwarfing 74 recorded in the same period last year. In February, 151 cases were reported compared with 73 in the same period last year.
The same goes for diesel thefts, with a total of 222 incidents recorded between January and February 2026. Reacting to the trend, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, described it as a huge setback for the sector, noting that operators had been doing their best by investing in network optimisation and capacity upgrades, following the federal government’s policy interventions early last year to support the industry’s sustainability.
Adebayo noted that the thefts and vandalisation of equipment had constituted serious hindrance in the wheel of necessary progress. The ALTON boss emphasised that critical components such as power cables, rectifiers, fibre optic cables, feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems are being stolen or vandalised from active telecoms sites.
The association had earlier disclosed that states such as Delta, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Kaduna, Niger, Osun, and Kwara had been recording the highest number of attacks on telecoms infrastructure.
