Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, on Friday explained the steps being taken by the Federal Government to tackle insecurity through the telecommunications space.
The minister revealed that the issue is “far more technical” than commonly understood.
Speaking as a guest non Channels Television’s Politics Today anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, Tijani acknowledged public worry over cases of kidnapping and ransom negotiations allegedly conducted through unregistered SIMs.
“There was an exercise that was conducted by the telcos to clean out all SIMs. The reason the President pushed us to invest in towers in those areas was the fact that we realised there was a special type of technology they [criminals] were using to call,” he explained.
However, he revealed that some criminal networks had shifted tactics, relying on technologies that allow them to route calls across multiple towers, a method that becomes particularly effective in remote or poorly connected locations.
“They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers. That’s why they enjoy living in areas that are unconnected,” he added.
In a bid to address these vulnerabilities, the minister outlined a connectivity strategy involving satellite upgrades and fibre expansion.
Tijani noted that Nigeria remains the “only West African country” currently operating its own communications satellites, a capability, he said, the government is now strengthening.
“This is why we are upgrading our two satellites, so that if our towers are not working, our satellites will work,” he said.
The minister also revealed that the deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers across underserved rural communities would reduce coverage blackspots, exploited by kidnappers and illegal SIM operators, and would be executed in collaboration with Huawei.
“It is why we are investing in fibre, it is why next year this project will start. We are doing it with Huawei, 4000 towers in rural areas,” he said.
The collaborative effort, which was approved by the Federal Executive Officer Council last Wednesday, according to the minister, “is expected to significantly improve rural connectivity, stimulate commerce and enhance security surveillance in areas currently lacking network coverage.”
He also revealed that the upgraded satellites, which he described as ” the third leg”, would take a little longer to go live.
“That one will take longer than the other two. The other two are well in progress,” Tijani added.
