Inside Nigeria’s digital courtroom: Judges, NCC confront new frontiers of telecom law

L -R: Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon Justice Habeeb Abiru; Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo; Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Barr. Rimini Makama; Chairman, Governing Board NCC, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe; Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Saulawa; Head Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC, Mrs Chizua Whyte, and Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya, during NCC’s 2026 workshop for judges on legal issues in telecommunications in Lagos

In a country where mobile phones have become banks, classrooms, marketplaces, and gateways to public life, Nigeria’s judiciary is increasingly being drawn into disputes that barely existed a decade ago. Stanley Ihedigbo report.

From cybercrime and digital identity fraud to online harassment, data privacy breaches, artificial intelligence, and the vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure, the courtroom is rapidly emerging as one of the most important battlegrounds of the digital age.

It was against this backdrop that senior judicial officers and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) gathered in Lagos for a landmark workshop organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and the Commission, where a central question dominated deliberations: how can the law keep pace with a digital revolution that is transforming every aspect of Nigerian society?

Themed “Adjudicating the digital era: The judiciary’s imperative in connectivity, infrastructure protection and online safety,” the workshop brought together senior judicial officers, telecom regulators, policymakers, security stakeholders, and industry experts to interrogate the legal implications of Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.

What emerged from the high-level engagement was a clear message: the future of Nigeria’s digital transformation may depend as much on the courts as on technology itself.

Opening the workshop, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, described connectivity as one of the defining realities of modern existence, noting that telecommunications now shape socio-economic growth, industrial development, governance, and national stability.

Yet, according to him, the opportunities presented by the digital revolution are increasingly accompanied by profound risks, ranging from privacy violations and surveillance concerns to misinformation, cyberstalking, identity theft, and algorithmic bias.

For the judiciary, he argued, the challenge lies in preserving constitutional freedoms while responding effectively to emerging threats.

“The Bench plays a pivotal role in harmonizing the right to freedom of expression with the competing demands of privacy and security,” he stated.
Adejumo stressed that judges must now possess a deeper understanding of telecommunications regulation, digital governance, and evolving legal frameworks in order to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities.

He also highlighted the importance of institutional collaboration between the judiciary and regulatory agencies, particularly in addressing persistent threats such as vandalism of telecom facilities, fibre-optic cuts, and risks associated with emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Over-the-Top (OTT) services.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the judiciary, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun described the digital age as one that has fundamentally transformed governance, commerce, education, finance, and social interaction.

According to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, courts across the world are increasingly being required to confront difficult questions involving regulation, accountability, privacy, cybersecurity, online conduct, and digital rights.

“The Judiciary cannot remain detached from these developments,” she declared.
Justice Kekere-Ekun noted that matters involving cyber-related disputes, infrastructure protection, digital communications, and regulatory oversight are steadily occupying a more prominent place within the judicial process.

She emphasized that disruptions to telecommunications infrastructure now carry consequences far beyond private inconvenience, affecting economic participation, public services, financial inclusion, and national stability.

Particularly significant was her observation that online safety presents one of the most delicate balancing acts for modern courts.

Cases involving digital fraud, misinformation, online harassment, privacy breaches, and platform misuse, she explained, require judges to carefully reconcile freedom of expression with public safety and regulatory enforcement.

The Chief Justice also referenced international experiences from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, India, the European Union, and South Africa, where judicial decisions on digital communications and data governance have significantly shaped regulatory practices and public policy.

For Nigeria, she said, judicial preparedness has become indispensable as digital systems become deeply integrated into everyday life.

Perhaps the most striking revelations at the workshop came from the Nigerian Communications Commission.

In a detailed address delivered by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida painted a vivid picture of Nigeria’s accelerating digital transformation.

According to the NCC boss, represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Ms. Rimini Makama, Nigerians consumed over 1.42 million terabytes of data in March 2026 alone, compared to 995,000 terabytes in March 2025.

“That translates to roughly 45,800 terabytes of data every single day,” he noted.

To simplify the scale, he explained that current daily consumption is equivalent to Nigerians watching more than 15 million hours of high-definition video every day, an increase of approximately 4.6 million additional hours daily compared to the previous year.

“Broadband penetration has also risen significantly, climbing from 47.7 percent in 2025 to 54.3 percent in 2026,” he further noted.

Telecommunications operators, according to the Commission boss, invested more than $1 billion in network expansion during 2025 alone, deploying thousands of new sites to improve nationwide connectivity and service delivery.

“These figures underscore not only the explosive growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, but also the enormous legal and security implications accompanying that expansion. One of the recurring themes throughout the workshop was the growing recognition of telecommunications infrastructure as a critical national asset,” he stressed.

Dr. Maida explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially designated telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), effectively elevating telecom assets to the level of strategic national security resources.

Despite this designation, he lamented that the persistent destruction of telecom facilities through vandalism, fibre cuts, sabotage, and theft of equipment, activities that frequently disrupt services for millions of Nigerians.

The NCC Executive Vice Chairman revealed that it is collaborating closely with security agencies, operators, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to intensify infrastructure protection through nationwide asset mapping, public sensitization campaigns, mediation efforts, and enforcement measures.

He also explained that collaborative efforts with security agencies have already resulted in the disruption of criminal syndicates involved in the theft and resale of telecommunications equipment.

“For the judiciary, these developments raise significant legal questions concerning enforcement, prosecution, sentencing, regulatory compliance, and public accountability. Beyond infrastructure concerns, another major issue dominating discussions was the growing threat of identity-related cybercrime,” he further said.

He warned that fraud linked to telecommunications services has become increasingly sophisticated, involving SIM-related crimes, financial scams, identity theft, and cyber-enabled fraud.

In his goodwill messages, the Chairman of the Governing Board of NCC, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, stressed the urgent need for stronger collaboration between the judiciary, regulators, security agencies, and industry stakeholders as Nigeria confronts the complex legal realities of its rapidly expanding digital economy.

He said the rapid evolution of digital technologies and communications services has fundamentally transformed commerce, governance, security, and social interaction, making the role of the judiciary more critical than ever.