More than 5,000 fibre optic cable cut incidents were recorded across Nigeria in the first six months of 2026, with road construction, excavation and related civil works identified among the major causes, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed the figure on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre optic cables during road construction, excavation and other activities in Nigeria.
Maida said the scale of the incidents highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among telecommunications operators, road contractors, government agencies, regulators and security institutions to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure.
He attributed many fibre cuts to inadequate coordination among stakeholders involved in construction and other civil works.
According to him, the consequences extend beyond physical damage to telecommunications cables, as disruptions can affect essential services and millions of Nigerians who depend on telecommunications networks for communication, business and access to digital services.
Maida recalled the nationwide telecommunications disruption in February 2024, when fibre cuts, including damage linked to road construction, affected one of the country’s major telecommunications operators.
Millions of subscribers were reportedly unable to make calls, send messages or access the internet for several hours, while subscribers who switched to alternative networks contributed to congestion on those networks.
The incident, he said, demonstrated how damage to a single telecommunications network could quickly create wider consequences for the country.
“In the first six months of this year alone, more than 5,000 fibre cut incidents were reported from road excavation, construction, and related civil work,” Maida said.
He stressed that a damaged fibre cable should not be viewed simply as an operating cost for telecommunications companies because the resulting disruptions ultimately affect consumers and the wider economy.
Maida called for a shift from repairing damaged infrastructure after incidents occur to preventing damage through better planning and coordination.
He urged telecommunications operators to provide accurate information about the location of their infrastructure and respond promptly to requests for information before construction begins.
Road contractors, he added, must verify the location of underground infrastructure before excavation and make adequate arrangements to protect telecommunications cables.
The NCC chief also called on regulators and security agencies to provide guidance and ensure accountability, arguing that coordination should be incorporated into the planning and execution of infrastructure projects.
He said the commission would continue working with public and private-sector stakeholders to make coordination a standard requirement for road construction and other civil works.
Earlier, the Director of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection at the Office of the National Security Adviser, AVM Effiong Ewa, described the protection of fibre optic infrastructure as a shared national responsibility.
Ewa said telecommunications infrastructure had been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure and warned that negligence or interference that exposes such assets to damage could constitute an offence under Nigerian law.
He called for strict compliance with established protocols, guidelines and procedures during construction and maintenance activities.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Rafiu Adeladan, said the government recognised that road and telecommunications infrastructure often occupy the same physical space.
He noted that excavation, grading, reconstruction, utility relocation and other road works could inadvertently damage fibre optic infrastructure where proper coordination and precautions were absent.
Adeladan called for stronger mechanisms for information sharing before and during road construction, saying contractors, consultants and relevant government agencies should have access to accurate information about the location of telecommunications infrastructure before excavation begins.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr Nadungu Gagare, said protecting telecommunications infrastructure could not be left to a single institution.
He called for cooperation among government ministries, regulators, security agencies, construction companies, utility providers and other stakeholders.
Gagare disclosed that the Federal Government had established a tripartite standing committee on the protection of fibre optic infrastructure to strengthen collaboration and promote a coordinated approach to infrastructure protection.
The committee will also promote compliance with established standards and right-of-way regulations, improve information sharing and support measures aimed at preventing avoidable damage.
The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works, NCC, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The initiative is aimed at developing practical measures to protect fibre optic cables during road construction, excavation and other civil works, while improving the resilience of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure.
