The executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has stated that for the Nigeria to reach the $1 trillion economy by 2030, it needs resilient network systems that can bend without breaking, recover quickly from shocks and keep the nation connected even in times of crisis.
Maida made the declaration at the 2025 annual conference of Finance and Business Online Publishers (FIBOP) held at the weekend in Lagos with the theme ‘Leveraging technology innovations, tax reforms and opportunities in renewable energy and agriculture to achieve $1 trillion economy.’
Represented by the principal manager, projects, Mr Babatunde Apeji, the EVC who presented a paper entitled ‘Protecting Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) and Building Industry Resilience’ said the telecommunications sector “is the nervous system of our economy, without which financial inclusion, digital trade, governance, national security and e-commerce cannot thrive.
He stated that the sector contributed over 15% to Nigeria’s GDP, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Q2 2025 report.
However, he said telecommunications infrastructure needs to be protected. According to him, the telecommunication system is under constant threat, with over 26,000 fibre cuts, vandalism incidents and theft cases recorded across operators between January and August 2025.
Maida, therefore, made a case for the protection of telecommunication infrastructure from cyber intrusions and ransomware attacks for “defending CNII is defending Nigeria’s economy.”
However, he announced that the Commission had deliberately transitioned from protection to resilience through telecommunications disaster recovery and business continuity guidelines by establishing a framework for preparedness, mutual aid agreements, rapid service restoration, and consumer education during emergencies; cybersecurity and incident response through its Sectoral Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) and the soon-to-be-launched Cybersecurity Framework for the Telecom Industry as well as building a frontline defence that can anticipate, detect, and contain threats.
The other measures include the Commission’s major network outage portal that ensures operators report significant disruptions, while consumers are kept informed and compensated where necessary; stronger infrastructure standards; enhanced compliance checklists for Tower Companies (TowerCos), requiring robust site security, redundant power systems, and climate-resilient designs; mandatory solar backup, dual backhaul, and community partnerships to ensure connectivity is not lost in underserved areas.
Nevertheless, the EVC said the government has to prioritise CNII protection in national defence and infrastructure planning and also called on security agencies to treat telecom assets with the same urgency as oil pipelines or power grids.
In addition, he said industry operators must invest in redundancy and joint monitoring, moving beyond siloed approaches while communities and citizens should see telecom assets in their vicinity as lifelines, not targets by guarding them as they would their own homes.
“The NCC is committed to driving this economic vision for our country. But commitment must be matched with collaboration. Together—with government’s support, industry innovation, security vigilance, and community participation, we will secure Nigeria’s digital backbone, protect our national lifelines, and lay the foundation for sustainable growth. Together, we will secure Nigeria’s future—and deliver on the promise of a trillion-dollar economy,” Maida said.
[10/19, 7:18 PM] Charles Osen: WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND BUSINESS ONLINE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION (FiBOP), MR. CHARLES ONWUATOGWU, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2025 NATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD ON OCTOBER 18, 2025, AT ORCHID HOTELS, LEKKI, LAGOS
On behalf of the Finance and Business Online Publishers Association (FiBOP), I warmly welcome you all to our 2025 National Conference.
This year’s theme is centered on one of the most pressing economic ambitions of our time—charting realistic pathways toward achieving a $1 trillion economy for Nigeria. Over the next two days, we will engage leading voices from government, business, technology, and finance to explore actionable strategies that address infrastructure gaps, stimulate innovation, and promote inclusive growth.
We in FIBOP believe that it is time Nigeria takes its rightful place as an economic giant in the comity of nations, inorder to ensure better standard of living for its citizens, reduce brain drain and the “jappa” syndrome to command the desired respect.
The time to collaborate is now; individuals and corporates must all join hands with government to fast-track the attainment of this objective
We are honored to have the participation of the Federal Ministry of Finance, led by the Honorable Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun. Their involvement underlines the strategic importance of this conference in shaping Nigeria’s economic future.
Our discussions will also focus on diversifying the economy through technology, renewable energy, agriculture, and financial inclusion, with emphasis on accountability and sustainable investment.
We sincerely appreciate our partners and sponsors—including the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), NASENI, Cornerstone Insurance PLC, the NGX Group, Nestle Nigeria PLC, and banking partners like Zenith, Polaris, and Fidelity. Your support speaks volumes about your commitment to Nigeria’s development agenda.
FiBOP remains committed to fostering credible, data-driven reporting and dialogue to drive national development.
I invite all participants to engage actively and collaboratively, as we shape ideas that will influence policy and strengthen Nigeria’s path to prosperity.
Thank you.