Abayomi Susan
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged road construction companies, contractors, engineers and other stakeholders to improve coordination and adopt preventive measures to protect fibre-optic cables during road construction, rehabilitation and other excavation activities.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, made the call on August 11, 2026, at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic cables held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser, in Abuja.
Maida warned that the expansion of physical infrastructure must not come at the expense of the digital networks that support communication, banking, healthcare, education, commerce, government services and emergency response across the country.
He disclosed that more than 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded in the first half of 2026, largely linked to road construction, excavation and other civil works.
According to him, damage to fibre infrastructure can cause widespread service disruptions, affecting millions of Nigerians and imposing significant costs on businesses and the economy.
“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.
He recalled that fibre cuts in February 2024 contributed to a near nationwide disruption on one telecommunications network, affecting millions of users and putting additional pressure on other operators.
The NCC chief stressed that the issue should not be viewed as a matter of blame, but as a need for stronger coordination between telecommunications operators, contractors, government agencies, regulators and security organisations.
He noted that the Federal Ministries of Works and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy had established a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables to develop practical coordination measures before, during and after road projects.
The committee has also been expanded to include representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, reflecting the strategic importance of telecommunications infrastructure, which has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure.
Maida urged all stakeholders to make fibre protection an integral part of project planning and execution, rather than an afterthought.
The workshop is expected to contribute to the development of a framework for protecting fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction and excavation activities, with the broader goal of reducing service disruptions and supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation.
