The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised concerns over more than 5,000 fibre-optic cable cuts recorded across Nigeria in the first six months of 2026.
The commission attributed most of the incidents to road construction, excavation and other civil engineering activities, warning that continued damage to fibre infrastructure could disrupt critical services and slow the country’s digital development.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, spoke on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic cables held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Maida urged road construction companies, contractors, engineers, government agencies and telecommunications operators to improve coordination and adopt preventive measures before embarking on construction and excavation projects.
He stressed that while Nigeria needs to expand its physical infrastructure, such development must not come at the expense of the digital infrastructure connecting citizens and businesses to essential services.
According to him, telecommunications infrastructure serves as a critical national lifeline, supporting banking, education, healthcare, commerce, government services, security and emergency communications.
He warned that damage to fibre-optic cables could result in widespread service disruptions and significant financial losses for individuals, businesses and the economy.
Maida recalled that fibre cuts in February 2024, including those linked to road construction, caused an almost nationwide disruption for one telecommunications operator, affecting millions of users for several hours and placing additional pressure on other networks.
The NCC boss said the challenge was not about blaming road contractors or telecommunications companies but establishing a reliable system for early coordination among all stakeholders.
He 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 said, was established to develop practical mechanisms for coordinating activities before, during and after road construction projects.
Maida added that representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser had recently joined the committee due to the national security implications of protecting telecommunications infrastructure.
He noted that telecommunications infrastructure has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure and must therefore receive adequate protection.
The NCC chief urged operators, contractors, government agencies, regulators and security organisations to work together to prevent further damage to fibre-optic networks.
“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.
The workshop is expected to produce a framework for protecting fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction and excavation activities, while strengthening efforts to minimise service disruptions and support Nigeria’s digital transformation.
