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The Nigerian Communication Commission is seeking collaborations with stakeholders to address potential risks in the telecom sector as it sets its sights on 6G technology.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this during a two-day Telecoms Industry Risk Management conference with the theme “Evolution and Future Risk Management in the Telecoms Industry: Harnessing Emerging Technologies and Trends”, held in Lagos recently.
The NCC boss, who was represented by Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Ubale Maska at the event, said that risks such as expanded attack surfaces, advanced cyber attacks, data breaches, and an increased sophistication of cyber threats would come with emerging technologies like 6G.
He emphasised that implementing proactive measures before the introduction of 6G was crucial for ensuring seamless technology integration.
He underscored the increasing importance of robust risk management practices to navigate this dynamic environment.
“Today, we stand at the crossroads of tradition and transformation, where emerging technologies and trends present both unprecedented opportunities and challenges.
“While we discuss the current landscape of 5G networks, which boast of wider attack surface due to the increased number of connected devices and denser network infrastructure, it is imperative to even cast our gaze into the future.
“We are witnessing the dawn of 6G technology, the next frontier in wireless communication,” Maida.
According to the NCC EVC, with promises of even faster speeds, lower latency, and groundbreaking applications, 6G has the potential to revolutionise the way people experience connectivity.
He further noted emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence should be leveraged to generate data-driven insights needed to predict, detect, and respond to risks in real-time.
Maida said stakeholders needed to vigilantly monitor evolving threats and vulnerabilities, urging continuous refinement of incident response processes to fortify the resilience of the telecom industry.
While 5G offers theoretical speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, 6G is expected to be 100 times faster than 5G.
Additionally, Maida affirmed the NCC’s dedication to fostering an innovative environment, placing a paramount focus on the security and stability of the telecom infrastructure.
“As we navigate through 5G and the uncharted territory of the next generations of wireless technologies, collaborative efforts among regulators, industry players, and other stakeholders become even more crucial for sharing best practices, threat intelligence, resources and implementing robust risk management strategies,” he added.
“We should, therefore, move beyond mere compliance and reactive measures, and instead, harness the power of these new technologies and trends to build a resilient and future-proof industry.”
5G has been rolled out in some major cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.
MTN Nigeria was the first to launch commercial 5G activities in September 2022, followed by Mafab Communications and Airtel Nigeria in January and June 2023, respectively.
However, the adoption of 5G in Nigeria remains low.
The high cost of equipment, routers, and devices, as well as poor infrastructure, have been cited as major barriers to widespread adoption.
Despite these challenges, the Nigerian government has announced a national 5G policy for network deployment, intending to ensure effective deployment of 5G to cover major urban areas by 2025.

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