NCC raises alarm over 5,000 fibre cuts in six months, urges contractors to protect telecom infrastructure

L – R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Rafiu Adeladan; Director, Directorate of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection (DCNAIP), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Air Vice Marshal Effiom Ewa; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, during the Stakeholders’ Workshop for the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables During Road Construction, held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser, Abuja.

Stanley Ihedigbo

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised concerns over the increasing damage to fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction, excavation and other civil engineering activities, disclosing that more than 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded across the country in the first six months of 2026.

According to the Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, the Commission consequently called on road construction companies, contractors, engineers, government agencies, telecommunications operators, regulators and security agencies to strengthen coordination and adopt preventive measures to safeguard the nation’s fibre-optic networks.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the call on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic cables held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, Abuja.

Maida said Nigeria’s drive to expand and modernise its physical infrastructure must go hand in hand with the protection of the digital infrastructure that increasingly supports the country’s economy and essential public services.

According to him, telecommunications infrastructure has become a critical national lifeline, supporting banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security, emergency communications and other essential activities.

He warned that damage to fibre-optic cables could have consequences far beyond the immediate location of a road project, disrupting communications and digital services while imposing additional costs on individuals, businesses and government institutions.

“To a machine operator on a construction site, it may appear to be one buried cable. To the nation, it can mean failed calls, stalled payments, interrupted services and missed opportunities,” Maida said.

The NCC boss stressed that the issue should not be viewed as a conflict between road development and telecommunications infrastructure, but rather as a coordination challenge requiring all stakeholders to work together.

“Our central message is simple: Nigeria must build the roads that connect our communities while protecting the fibre networks that connect our economy. We need both forms of infrastructure, and we need them to work together,” he said.

5,000 Fibre Cuts Recorded in Six Months
Maida disclosed that more than 5,000 incidents involving damage to fibre-optic infrastructure had been recorded in the first half of 2026, with road construction, excavation and related civil works identified among the major causes.

He recalled the serious network disruption experienced in February 2024, when fibre cuts, including those linked to road construction activities, resulted in an almost network-wide disruption for one telecommunications operator.

The incident affected millions of users for several hours and placed additional pressure on other telecommunications networks.

According to him, the experience demonstrated the vulnerability of the country’s digital ecosystem and the far-reaching consequences that can arise when telecommunications infrastructure is damaged during construction activities.

The EVC, however, emphasised that the objective should not be to apportion blame to road contractors or telecommunications operators.

He noted that road contractors do not deliberately seek to disconnect communities, just as telecommunications operators do not intend to obstruct legitimate road construction projects.

Rather, he said, there must be a dependable system of early communication and coordination before construction and excavation activities begin.

Standing Committee Established
Maida disclosed that the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy had inaugurated a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables.

The committee, he explained, was established to develop practical mechanisms for coordination among relevant stakeholders before, during and after road construction and other projects capable of affecting buried telecommunications infrastructure.

He further disclosed that the membership of the committee had recently been expanded to include representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), reflecting the growing recognition of the security implications associated with the protection of telecommunications infrastructure.

According to Maida, telecommunications infrastructure has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), making its protection a matter of national importance.

He explained that the designation means telecommunications infrastructure must be treated as critical national infrastructure and protected accordingly, with appropriate legal, regulatory and remedial consequences where damage occurs.

NCC Seeks Early Coordination
The NCC EVC urged all stakeholders involved in road construction, excavation and related civil works to make infrastructure coordination an integral part of project planning and execution.

He called on telecommunications operators to provide relevant information on the location of fibre infrastructure, while urging contractors and government agencies to undertake appropriate checks and engage with the relevant stakeholders before commencing excavation.

He also urged regulators and security agencies to support the implementation of measures designed to prevent avoidable damage and ensure compliance with existing regulations.

Maida said the country could no longer afford to treat fibre-optic cables as ordinary buried utilities because of their critical role in the functioning of the modern economy.

He encouraged participants at the workshop to develop practical measures that would make coordination between road construction and telecommunications stakeholders a standard practice rather than an exception.

Protecting Nigeria’s Digital Economy
The Commission said the workshop formed part of its continuing efforts to institutionalise mechanisms for protecting telecommunications infrastructure and reducing avoidable service disruptions.

The initiative is also expected to support Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda by ensuring that the expansion of physical infrastructure does not undermine the country’s digital connectivity.

The NCC said the workshop was expected to culminate in the development of a framework for the protection of telecommunications fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction, excavation and other civil engineering activities.

The Commission maintained that protecting fibre networks is essential to ensuring reliable telecommunications services, sustaining economic activities and safeguarding the digital infrastructure upon which millions of Nigerians and businesses increasingly depend.

Maida reiterated that Nigeria’s physical and digital infrastructure must develop together, stressing that roads and fibre networks serve complementary roles in connecting communities and driving economic growth.

He therefore urged stakeholders to embrace stronger collaboration, early notification, proper planning and preventive measures to significantly reduce fibre damage and the resulting disruption to telecommunications services nationwide.