Effect of telecommunication network regulation and cybercrime legislation on security outcome in north central Nigeria

Abstract

Telecommunication networks play a significant role in national security through the provision of secure and reliable communication channels that enable government security agencies to coordinate efforts in addressing security challenges. However, these networks also provide avenues through which criminal actors carry out attacks against national interest.
Consequently, in the interest of protecting national security and maintaining public order, the government has established regulatory frameworks and cybercrime legislation. This study therefore examines the effect of telecommunication network regulation and cybercrime legislation on security outcomes in North Central Nigeria. The study adopted quantitative research design, utilizing descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression techniques for data analysis. Empirical findings revealed that telecommunication network regulation (β = −0.042, p > 0.05) exerted negative statistically insignificant effect on security outcome, while cybercrime legislation (β = 0.034, p > 0.05) shows a positive but statistically insignificant effect on security outcomes in the study area. In contrast, urbanization exhibited a positive and statistically significant effect (β = 0.421, p < 0.05) on security outcomes in the study area. The study concludes that while existing telecommunication regulations and cybercrime legislation have not significantly improved security outcomes, urbanisation remains a critical factor influencing security dynamics in the region. The study therefore recommends that government and relevant stakeholders should strengthen the enforcement capacity of telecommunication regulatory institutions through improved monitoring systems, greater institutional autonomy, and stricter compliance mechanism to enhance national security.