CJN, NCC seek stronger judicial role in telecoms, online safety

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, and the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Aminu Maida, have called for a more technologically informed judiciary to tackle professionally the emerging legal challenges in Nigeria’s rapidly growing digital economy.

They both spoke at the Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications held in Lagos and organised by the National Judicial Institute in collaboration with the NCC.

The workshop was themed “Adjudicating in the Digital Era: The Judiciary’s Imperative in Connectivity, Infrastructure Protection and Online Safety.” It assembled justices, judges, regulators, industry stakeholders, and security agencies to scrutinize and analyze the growing intersection between law, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and digital governance.

Represented by Hon. Justice I.M.M. Saulawa, the CJN said the emergence of digital technology had fundamentally transformed governance, commerce, education, financial systems, and social interaction, hence the judiciary cannot be left out.

“The Judiciary cannot remain detached from these developments. The law must respond to changing realities while preserving the principles that sustain justice and social order,” she said.

She noted that courts are increasingly being called upon over cases on digital communications, cyber-related crimes, online conduct, data governance, privacy violations, misinformation, and infrastructure protection.

According to her, telecommunications infrastructure has become “an essential foundation for commerce, governance, education, financial systems, and social engagement,” warning that disruptions to communication systems carry serious consequences for both businesses and society.

She insisted that regulatory institutions must work in sync with the judiciary, saying, “In a constitutional democracy governed by the Rule of Law, judgments of courts are not merely advisory opinions; they constitute authoritative statements of the law.”

In his address, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Aminu Maida, said Nigeria’s digital economy had witnessed significant expansion driven by increased internet penetration, digital payments, e-commerce, startups, and emerging technologies.

“Nigerians are consuming data at unprecedented levels,” Maida said, disclosing that more than 1.42 million terabytes of data were consumed in March 2026 alone, compared to 995,000 terabytes recorded in the same month of 2025.

He added that broadband penetration rose from 47.7 per cent to 54.3 per cent within the same period, while telecommunications operators invested over $1 billion in network expansion in 2025.

“These demonstrate both the sector’s resilience as well as its critical contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth and social cohesion,” he said.

Maida warned that despite the growth, the sector has remained vulnerable to vandalism, fibre cuts, theft of telecommunications equipment, cybercrime, identity fraud, and online artacks.

“Telecommunications infrastructure has now been officially designated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Critical National Information Infrastructure,” he stated, adding that the designation further stressed the sector’s importance to national security and economic stability.

He disclosed that the NCC was collaborating with security agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser to combat vandalism and cyber-related crimes, including disrupting syndicates involved in the theft and resale of telecom equipment.

Maida also said the Commission had introduced the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System to tackle SIM-related fraud and identity abuse, while partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria to combat electronic fraud linked to phone numbers.

Chairman of the NCC Board of Commissioners, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, in his goodwill message, described the judiciary as critical to shaping a secure and innovation-driven digital future for Nigeria.

According to him, the workshop provided, “a timely platform for constructive engagement between the judiciary, regulators, law enforcement institutions, policymakers, and industry operators on the legal and governance challenges arising within the digital ecosystem.”

Olorunnimbe is hopeful the deliberations would “contribute meaningfully to the development of sound jurisprudence that supports innovation, protects citizens, safeguards critical infrastructure, and promotes a secure and resilient digital future for Nigeria.”

Presentations and panel discussions on telecommunications infrastructure resilience, artificial intelligence, cybercrime prevention, subscriber identity management, online harms, and internet governance were all featured at the workshop. 

CJN, NCC seek stronger judicial role in telecoms, online safety