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More than 5,000 fibre-optic cable cuts were recorded across Nigeria in the first six months of 2026 as road construction, excavation and other civil engineering activities disrupted critical telecommunications infrastructure, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed.
The regulator attributed much of the damage to inadequate coordination between construction companies, government agencies and telecommunications operators before excavation work begins, warning that repeated disruptions could undermine Nigeria’s digital economy.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed the figures on Tuesday in Abuja during a stakeholder workshop focused on protecting fibre-optic cables during road construction, rehabilitation and other civil works.
Poor Coordination Fuels Fibre Cuts
Maida said the scale of the damage highlights the need for stakeholders to move from responding to fibre cuts after they occur to preventing them through better planning, information sharing and early engagement.
According to him, roads and telecommunications networks are both essential national infrastructure, meaning the expansion or rehabilitation of one should not jeopardise the other.
He noted that in many cases, construction work begins with little or no engagement between contractors and telecommunications operators, increasing the likelihood of cables being damaged during excavation.
The NCC boss stressed that fibre infrastructure now supports critical sectors including banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security and emergency communications.
As a result, damage to a fibre route can extend beyond the immediate repair costs incurred by telecom operators to affect businesses, public services and ordinary citizens.
2024 Network Disruption Offers Warning
Maida cited the widespread telecommunications disruption experienced in February 2024 as an example of how damage to fibre infrastructure can trigger broader economic consequences.
He said fibre cuts during the period caused an almost network-wide outage for one telecommunications operator, leaving millions of subscribers unable to make calls, send messages or access the internet for several hours.
The resulting traffic migration to other networks also placed pressure on unaffected operators, demonstrating how damage to one network can generate knock-on effects across the wider telecommunications ecosystem.
Government Sets Up Protection Committee
The Federal Government has established a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables to tackle the recurring problem.
The committee was inaugurated by the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
Its mandate includes developing practical coordination mechanisms that can be applied before, during and after road construction and other civil works.
The NCC workshop was also aimed at helping construction companies, engineers, contractors and site supervisors understand the risks of working around fibre infrastructure, which has been designated Critical National Information Infrastructure.
NCC Calls for Better Infrastructure Mapping
Maida urged telecommunications operators to provide accurate information about the routes of their fibre networks, while asking contractors to verify the location of underground infrastructure before excavation begins.
Government agencies, he added, must support timely information sharing among all parties involved in infrastructure projects.
He emphasised that coordination should be incorporated into the design and execution of projects where telecommunications infrastructure may be affected.
Ministry Warns of Rising Investment Risks
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, represented at the workshop by the Director of Telecoms and Postal Services, Stanley Musa, described the protection of fibre networks as a shared national responsibility.
Gagare warned that recurring fibre damage could undermine the government’s efforts to expand broadband infrastructure by disrupting essential services, increasing operational costs and potentially discouraging investment in Nigeria’s digital sector.
He said the ministry was working with relevant stakeholders to improve compliance with right-of-way regulations and strengthen coordination around telecommunications infrastructure.
The ministry also referenced a National Economic Council memorandum approving the harmonisation of right-of-way charges and directing the development of standards and guidelines for shared infrastructure.
One of the proposed measures is a “dig once” approach, designed to reduce repeated excavation by encouraging infrastructure providers to coordinate installations during major construction projects.
Damaged Fibre Could Carry Legal Consequences
The Director of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Air Vice Marshal Effiom Enebong Ewa, said the consequences of damaging fibre networks extend beyond technical disruption.
He linked fibre infrastructure to governance, economic productivity and the delivery of public services, stressing that the country’s designation of fibre networks as Critical National Information Infrastructure carries legal responsibilities.
Ewa warned that negligence, interference or actions that expose such infrastructure to damage could constitute offences under Nigerian law.
He consequently called on contractors, government institutions, telecom operators and other stakeholders to comply with established protocols when carrying out construction and maintenance activities.
Industry Seeks Preventive Approach
The Abuja workshop brought together representatives of government ministries and agencies, telecommunications operators, construction companies, contractors, security agencies and other stakeholders.
Discussions focused on identifying the causes of recurring fibre cuts and developing measures to prevent damage before construction begins.
For Nigeria’s digital economy, the issue is becoming increasingly important as fibre networks support a growing share of internet connectivity and essential digital services.
With more than 5,000 fibre cuts recorded in just six months, the NCC’s warning underscores the cost of poor infrastructure coordination and the need to treat telecommunications networks as critical assets when planning road projects and other civil works.
