The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has clarified remarks he made in a recent interview with Channels Television concerning banditry and digital connectivity in Nigeria.
Posting on X, the minister addressed public reactions and misinterpretations of his statements.
He explained that his comments were intended to highlight gaps in the country’s digital infrastructure vulnerabilities that could be exploited by criminals—and to underscore the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen these systems.
In a Channels TV interview, Dr. Bosun Tijani discussed the continued use of unregistered or fraudulent SIM cards despite the NIN-SIM linkage policy. He noted that criminals often circumvent traditional networks by routing calls through multiple towers or taking advantage of areas with poor connectivity.
“There was an exercise that was conducted by the telcos to clean out all SIMs…we realised there was a special kind of technology that they were using to call. They weren’t using the normal towers. That’s why they enjoy living in areas where it’s unconnected at all,” he said.
Dr. Tijani added that the government is addressing these security challenges by investing in telecom towers in remote areas, upgrading existing satellites, launching new communication satellites, and expanding fibre networks in underserved regions.
He emphasized that his goal during the interview was to explain how connectivity gaps in certain parts of the country pose both development and security vulnerabilities.
“My objective was to explain that gaps in digital infrastructure and connectivity in some parts of the country represent a development and security vulnerability. These gaps limit economic opportunity, restrict access to services, and weaken coordination and inclusion,” he said.
He pointed out government initiatives aimed at bridging these gaps, including:
“Project Bridge, a 90,000-kilometre national fibre-optic backbone that will connect every geopolitical zone, state, and local government area, providing the foundation for ubiquitous connectivity.
“The deployment of 3,700 new telecom towers to unserved and underserved communities, which will enable over 23 million Nigerians who are currently unconnected to access reliable communication services.
“The strengthening of NIGCOMSAT, including the replacement of its current satellite and the launch of two new communication satellites, to further enhance national coverage and resilience.
“These investments will deepen connectivity across the country, strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy, and ensure that digital infrastructure contributes meaningfully to economic prosperity, inclusion, and national development,” Dr. Tijani stated.
In December 2020, the Federal Government implemented the mandatory NIN‑SIM linkage policy, requiring all SIM cards in Nigeria to be linked to a verified National Identity Number to remain active.
The policy was introduced to boost national security and improve identity verification, making it harder for criminals to operate anonymously while enabling law enforcement agencies to trace mobile communications.
