The databases for the National Identification Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) have been identified by the federal government as key national information infrastructure (CNII).
The “Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024,” which President Bola Tinubu just signed into the official gazette, contains this information.
Because of the designation, attacking any infrastructure that is included in the gazette is illegal and subject to legal action.
The Treasury Single Account (TSA) database and all other electronic payment channels in the nation are also included in the gazetted document that Nairametrics was able to view. These are vital infrastructures that nobody should mess with.
Safeguarding ICT systems
The Presidential Order’s goal, according to the Gazette, is to safeguard and guarantee the efficient operation of ICT networks, systems, and infrastructure, all of which are essential to advancing economic growth, national security and defence, public health and safety, and government functions.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, first announced the gazette’s release earlier this week. He called it a significant step that would strengthen and protect investments in the ICT sector by lowering the likelihood of incidents that could jeopardise the nation’s technological systems, infrastructure, and networks.
The Minister expressed his excitement over the country’s communication infrastructure being designated as CNII, pointing out that this will assist raise the calibre of services, which have frequently been harmed by deliberate destruction and disruption.
“Wilful damage to assets, including telco towers and sites, switch stations, data centres, satellite infrastructure, submarine and fibre optic cables, transmission equipment, e-government platforms and databases, among many others, is now illegal according to this gazette,” the speaker stated.
What to note
In order to address the ongoing attacks on the nation’s telecom infrastructure, players in the Nigerian ICT sector have been pleading with the government to declare it a key national asset for some time.
Gbenga Adebayo, the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, reaffirmed the appeal in March of this year after many fibre optic cables in Nigeria were damaged, causing an internet outage.
MTN Nigeria claimed to have experienced more than 6,000 fibre cable cuts in 2023 alone. At a cost of more than N11 billion, the operator relocated 2,500 kilometres of vulnerable fibre cables between 2022 and 2023, which is enough money to construct 870 kilometres of new fibre lines in places lacking coverage.
Speaking at an industry gathering earlier this month, Carl Cruz, the CEO of Airtel Nigeria, stated that the telecom provider has been tracking 1,000 instances of fibre cuts on average per month.
