Lagos, Nigeria – Telecommunications operators in Nigeria are grappling with a growing wave of infrastructure theft, as newly released data from the Nigerian Communications Commission shows that 656 critical power assets were stolen from telecom sites across the country in 2025.
A total of 152 generators and 504 batteries were stolen within the year, raising fresh concerns about network reliability and quality of service.
Okay News reports that data for January and February 2026 shows a continuation of the trend, with 64 batteries and 17 generators stolen in the first two months of the year. Cables and diesel thefts have also continued on a massive scale, with 160 cases of cable theft reported in January, dwarfing the 74 recorded in the same period last year.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the rising attacks on telecom infrastructure are causing a major setback for the industry. He noted that critical components such as power cables, rectifiers, fibre optic cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar systems are being stolen or vandalised from active telecom sites.
A Lagos-based telecom consultant, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, said the perennial theft of telecom equipment is costing operators billions of naira every year. With an estimated cost of N3.5 million for a 15 KVA generator, the theft of 656 generators and batteries in one year represents a huge loss that will cost billions to replace.
In August 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed a gazette designating telecom infrastructure as critical national information infrastructure, making it a criminal offence to wilfully destroy such infrastructure. However, this telecom infrastructure theft continues to undermine network reliability and service quality across Nigeria.
