Twenty-five years ago, the arrival of GSM completely transformed Nigeria. It turned a country where people waited in line for hours just to make a phone call into Africa’s largest telecommunications market. Active subscriptions have jumped from fewer than 400,000 connected telephone lines in 2001 to over 170 million today. But the industry is now facing a different kind of battle: protecting the infrastructure that keeps the nation’s digital economy running.

The networks that power everything from banking and e-commerce to healthcare and artificial intelligence are currently under strain. Industry leaders point to a growing list of daily obstacles, including rampant vandalism, frequent fibre cuts, soaring energy costs, and widespread insecurity. Operators are also struggling with multiple taxation and inconsistent Right-of-Way policies across different states.

Because of these mounting threats, the telecom sector has entered a new phase where survival and resilience matter more than simple expansion.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), at the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) conference in Lagos, said the challenge is no longer simply extending coverage, but ensuring resilient, reliable and high-quality connectivity for all Nigerians.

Adebayo’s comments reflect a shift in the industry’s priorities. For much of the past two decades, operators focused on building mobile coverage across the country. Today, the biggest…