(Ecofin Agency) - On June 2, the Federal Government of Nigeria finally classified telecommunications equipment as Critical National Infrastructure. This long-awaited decision is a relief for telecom operators.

According to a statement by the ministry of digital economy, President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed various federal institutions to take practical measures to safeguard the telecom network deployed across the country. These institutions are the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), Defense Headquarters (DHQ), Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

For many years, telecommunications operators have complained that the government has turned a deaf ear to the looting and vandalism of telecom infrastructure, a situation that has long disrupted the quality of service in the country, leading operators to receive multiple warnings from the regulator. They say they were wrongly held accountable for the poor quality of service resulting from acts of vandalism on telecom infrastructure.

According to them, the government had to take this decision to secure the network since telecom services are indispensable for national security, the economy and social development.