Assessment of Corporate Network Infrastructure Resilience at Federal Government Ministries in Abuja

Telecommunications network resilience in federal government ministry infrastructure is critical for ensuring continuity of essential public administration functions, protecting sensitive government data, and maintaining inter-ministry communication during network disruption events. This study assesses the network infrastructure resilience practices at selected federal government ministries in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, examining redundancy architecture, backup connectivity arrangements, disaster recovery planning, and business continuity testing. A professional assessment methodology combining structured interviews with twenty-four IT directors and network administrators across six federal ministries, review of network architecture documentation, and assessment of resilience practices against NITDA cybersecurity framework standards was employed. Results reveal significant variability in resilience maturity across ministries. Only two of six reviewed ministries maintained documented and tested network disaster recovery plans. Single internet service provider dependency was identified at four ministries, creating complete connectivity loss risk in the event of ISP-side outages. Backup generator autonomy was insufficient for extended outages at three sites, with fuel reserves limited to 48 hours. Last-mile connectivity redundancy through secondary wireless or fiber links was absent at five of six ministry headquarters. Staff awareness of business continuity protocols was low, with only 31% of IT staff demonstrating familiarity with recovery procedures during assessment simulations. Recommendations include mandatory dual-ISP connectivity, generator fuel reserve minimum standards, annual disaster recovery testing, and NITDA-led capacity building for ministry IT staff in resilience management. Keywords: network resilience, government ministries, Abuja, disaster recovery, business continuity.