The Federal Government’s stance on the deployment of 5G wireless technology in Nigeria seems to be somewhat shaky. This is following some reservations from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) over the planned massive 5G rollout in Nigeria. The Office of the National Security Adviser expressed their fears to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Technology from the angle of threats the latest wireless technology poses to national security.
In view of the National Cybersecurity and Policy Strategy 2021 which was launched on 23rd of February, the ONSA expressed strong concerns that the 5G technology will make the country open to certain loopholes:
“…we are concerned about the deliberate vulnerabilities and back doors within the 5G network equipment. That is one of the key concerns we have and this will make the infrastructure highly susceptible to eavesdropping, tracking, cyberattacks, military and industrial espionage, and other malicious activities by foreign actors.”
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, however, does not share in the concerns that the 5G technology may be inimical to the well-being of the country and her people. According to him, the Federal Government was satisfied with the results of trials conducted so far, adding that the 5G technology is safe and devoid of any negative impact on human health:
“On the 25th September 2019, we conducted the first trial of 5G in Nigeria. In order to demonstrate trust and prove leadership by example, I personally pledged to make a trial so if there is any security implication or medical implication, then Isa would be the number one victim. And if there is any relationship with COVID-19, I will be the first victim. To date, I have not contracted the virus. And I did a test up to 10 times. So I did the trial personally. Mr. President is very much aware of all these stages from the beginning to where we stopped.”
In the words of the National Security Adviser, Dr. Bala Fakandu, he emphasized that the stakeholders in the telecommunications industry will have to understand where his office is coming from because the national security concerns are the concerns of the Office of the National Security Adviser, and of the President as well.
As Isa Pantami believes, the 5G wireless technology promises to revolutionise communication and data transmission globally, heralding a new age of connectivity. It is much faster and more responsive and has a bigger capacity. This will be a real breakthrough for the internet, leveraging machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automating network management and security.
However, controversies have trailed the advent of the 5G wireless technology. Certain conspiracy theories linked the latest wireless technology with the coronavirus. Although there is no proof to this, there appear to be some legitimate concerns.
Many who have had issues with the 5G wireless network or fault its deployment across countries of the world attribute it to health-risk factors. Over the years, scientists have researched the effects of cell phone radiation. They acknowledge that there are indeed health-risks associated with cell phone radiation. The International EMF Scientific Appeal, which calls for stronger exposure limits, was signed by over 200 scientists who have carried out research and equally have publications on the biological and health effects of nionising electromagnetic fields (EMF). The assertions made by the appeal revealed that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines.
The effects include cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, increased cancer risk, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on the general well-being of humans. The scientists also revealed that damage goes well beyond the human race. Both plants and animal life are equally affected.
Moreover, the 5G employs millimeter waves for the first time. This is in addition to microwaves that have been in use for older cellular technologies like 2G, 3G, and 4G. This latest cellular technology as such will require cell antennas every 100 to 200 meters. What this means is that it will expose many people to millimeter-wave radiation.
All nionising electromagnetic fields (EMF) have debilitating effects. Various research on 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies show that stress, sperm and testicular damage, neuropsychiatric effects, including changes to electrical activity in the brain, cellular DNA damage, and calcium overload can all occur in humans as a result of exposure to EMFs. But while there is evidence from epidemiological and animal studies, many other related views remain controversial.
South Korea, China, and the United States are the countries that lead the world in building and deploying 5G technology. Viavi Solutions, a California-based network testing company, released a report on February 2020 which stated that 5G was at least partially available in 378 cities, in a total of 34 countries.
On the African continent, South Africa and Lesotho are the only countries where 5G is commercially available. They are however extremely limited.
Worthy of mention is the fact that a good number of countries have adopted a more cautious approach and halted the rollout of the 5G wireless network. This is as a result of the ambivalence that has accompanied the various scientific statements on the effects of the latest wireless technology. The cold feet is also coupled with the inconsistency of guidance between supranational bodies and private bodies.
For instance, in Sweden where 5G is banned, the municipalities and cantons argue that the adaptive 5G antennas emit at much higher peak power so that they do not comply with the current exposure limits, leading to greater health risks.
Another major concern is the utilisation of 5G devices onboard aircraft. Experts note that it could lead to risks of interference that could potentially result in errors in altitude readings. According to a French aviation agency, the potential phenomenon is owing to signal interference from a close frequency source of a strength that is similar or even superior to that of altimeters. It noted that this interference can cause errors in instruments that are extremely critical during landing. As such, it advised that 5G phones should either be turned off completely or put in “airplane mode” during flight.
Other areas outside of the bodily injury sphere include weather satellite interference. It is said that 5G transmission interference could potentially degrade weather forecasting, with implications for managing climate-related risks in the future, as well as calling into question the accuracy of some parametric insurance policies.
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Scholars also note that the new technology may increase cyber exposures, with hackers better able to exploit device vulnerabilities, exacerbating information security dangers for businesses. Given the political friction in implementation already seen in some jurisdictions, there is also the possibility of corporate sabotage directly impacting financial markets.
These were some of the concerns raised by the Office of the National Security Adviser, Dr Bala Fakandu, who stated that they were national security concerns as the deployment of 5G technology could lead to certain vulnerabilities.
A cloud of uncertainty however hovers around the 5G technology. Not enough is currently known about the potential risks and health effects. Given the scarcity of evidence, the potential future risks are presently unclear, particularly given the long period before the manifestation of health issues.
The telecommunications industry has equally accused scientists of causing unnecessary fear that has pervaded the air over the rollout of 5G. Nevertheless, it would be reasonable if the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy carry the Office of the NSA along in the development of a policy so that there would be a robust framework to take care of the areas the NSA cited. This would further shape the goal and vision of the Nigeria Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2021.
Nelson Okoh
