Militant Islamist group Boko Haram said it had carried out the attacks, affecting nine mobile phone companies, on Wednesday evening.
It had threatened such attacks, accusing the firms of helping security agencies to monitor its members.
The group wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria.
Police chief Mohammed Abubakar said all regional forces had been told to set up special units to protect the installations.
"This order is sequel to recent security development in some parts of the country where these equipment and installations have become vulnerable and targets of reckless attacks and wilful destruction," he said in a statement.
Experts say the damage to the mobile phone masts is likely to run into millions of dollars as the cost of a single tower can exceed $1m (£627,000).
Boko Haram launched a military campaign in 2009 to fight for Islamic rule, bombing government buildings, churches and assassinating moderate Muslim clerics.
In February, it threatened to attack Nigerian telecom companies - accusing them of breaking their "ethical obligations" and helping the security forces to monitor and track down its members.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian and animist south.
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