The Nigerian Communications Commission has disclosed that more than 5,000 incidents of fibre-optic cable cuts were recorded across the country in the first six months of 2026, largely linked to road construction, excavation and related civil works.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic cables during road construction and rehabilitation activities.

Maida said the recurring damage to fibre infrastructure was capable of disrupting essential digital services and imposing costs on telecommunications operators, businesses and citizens.

“The scale is significant. In the first six months of this year alone, over 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded from road construction, excavation and related civil works,” he said.

According to him, many of the incidents occurred because of inadequate coordination among stakeholders before construction activities commenced.

He said the consequences of a damaged fibre cable extended beyond telecommunications operators, as disruptions could affect banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security and emergency communications.

Maida recalled that in late February 2024, fibre cuts, including those caused by road construction, resulted in an almost network-wide disruption for one telecommunications operator, leaving millions of subscribers unable to make calls, send messages or access the internet for several hours.

He said the subsequent movement of subscribers to other networks also created congestion, demonstrating how damage to one network could have wider consequences.

The NCC boss, however, said the issue was not about assigning blame but establishing effective coordination between road construction authorities, contractors and telecommunications operators.

“No road contractor sets out to disconnect a community. No telecommunications operator wants to obstruct the building of a road. No public agency wants one vital national project to undermine another,” he said.

“Our interests are aligned; what has too often been missing is a dependable system of early coordination.”

Maida said 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 to develop coordination mechanisms before, during and after road works.

He added that the committee’s membership had been expanded to include officials of the Office of the National Security Adviser to provide additional strategic oversight.

The NCC chief executive said telecommunications infrastructure had been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, stressing that construction companies, engineers, contractors and site supervisors were required to understand their responsibilities when working around such infrastructure.

He said the designation was intended to promote proper planning, due care and accountability rather than criminalise legitimate construction activities.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, represented by the Director of Telecoms and Postal Services, Stanley Musa, described the protection of fibre infrastructure as a shared national responsibility.

Gagare said efforts to expand broadband infrastructure could be undermined by recurring fibre cuts, which disrupt essential services, increase operational costs and potentially discourage investment in the digital sector.

He said the ministry had been working with relevant stakeholders to strengthen compliance with right-of-way regulations and improve coordination around telecommunications infrastructure.

The Permanent Secretary also recalled that the National Economic Council had approved a memorandum on the harmonisation of right-of-way charges and directed the ministry to develop standards and guidelines for shared infrastructure, including the proposed “dig once” approach.

In his remarks, the Director, Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Air Vice Marshal Effiom Enebong Ewa, said damage to fibre infrastructure had implications beyond technical faults.

Ewa said damaged fibre cables could affect governance, economic productivity, public services and the lives of Nigerians.

He noted that fibre-optic infrastructure had been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure and warned that negligence, interference or actions exposing such assets to damage could constitute offences under Nigerian law.

He urged contractors, government institutions, telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to comply with established protocols during construction and maintenance activities.

Nigeria’s expanding broadband infrastructure increasingly relies on fibre-optic cables, many of which are buried along road corridors.

However, road construction, excavation and other civil works have repeatedly damaged the cables, causing disruptions to telecommunications and digital services.

The NCC has consequently intensified efforts to improve coordination between telecom operators, contractors and government agencies to prevent fibre cuts.