Telecommunications operators in Nigeria are grappling with a sharp rise in fibre optic cable damage after incidents surged by 900 per cent in January 2026.
Data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that fibre cuts jumped from four cases in December 2025 to 40 incidents in January — one of the steepest month-on-month increases recorded in recent years.
The worrying trend has continued into February. Between February 1 and 17 alone, another 18 fibre cuts were reported, bringing the total number of disruptions to 58 within the first seven weeks of the year.
A breakdown of the incidents indicates that about 90 per cent occurred in Abuja, while smaller cases were recorded in Lagos State, Enugu State, Benue State, Anambra State and Abia State.
Operators affected by the spike include Broadband Communications Network (BCN), 9mobile, Airtel Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, ipNX and Layer3.
The development has raised concerns across the industry, particularly because telecommunications infrastructure was officially designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) by the Federal Government in 2024. The designation was aimed at safeguarding network assets from vandalism, sabotage and accidental damage.
Industry stakeholders warn that continued fibre damage could lead to service disruptions, slower internet speeds and financial losses for operators, while also undermining efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
