The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged telecommunications consumers to protect the industry’s infrastructure in their environment.

NCC’s Commissioner for Stakeholders Management, Mr Okechukwu Itanyi, gave the advice during the 54th edition of the Consumer Outreach Programme in Lagos.

Itanyi, who was represented by Mr Balarabe Sani, NCC’s Director of Technical Standard and Network Integrity, said telecommunications infrastructure were significant to quality service.

He said any damage to the infrastructure affects the quality of service being experienced by consumers.

“The development of telecommunications infrastructure is an important phase in the life cycle of the telecommunications industry.

“It is obvious that without telecommunica-tions infrastructure, there will be no telecommunica-tions service. So, it is our collective responsibility to protect the infrastructure,” Itanyi said.

He said the Commission had created a conducive environment which had helped to attract Foreign Direct Investment, and which had eventually made telecommunications infrastructure widely available in the country.

“Nigeria is virtually covered by the infrastructure in terms of optic fibre cables, copper cables, masts and towers, bandwidth and internet facilities,’’ the NCC official said.

Itanyi said the infrastruc-ture’s importance meant there was the need to protect it from vandalisation, stealing and any other abuse.

“In fact telecommunica-tions infrastructure should rank among the critical infrastructure which should enjoy priority attention and protection in the country.

“I wish to enjoin all as responsible citizens to know that one of our obligations is to discourage unauthorised usage and/or conversion to other uses of anything called telecommunications infrastructure,’’ he said.