Road construction causes over 5,000 fibre cuts in 6 months, says NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reported a significant number of fibre-optic cable cuts, exceeding 5,000 incidents, within the first half of 2026. These incidents were primarily attributed to road construction, excavation, and related civil works, as disclosed by the NCC's Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, during a stakeholders' workshop.

Maida emphasized that such damage to fibre infrastructure can disrupt essential digital services, imposing costs on telecommunications operators, businesses, and citizens alike.

The majority of the fibre cuts occurred due to inadequate coordination among stakeholders before construction began. Maida cited a case from late February 2024, where fibre cuts, including those caused by road construction, led to a near-network-wide disruption for one telecommunications operator. This incident left millions of subscribers unable to make calls, send messages, or access the internet for several hours, demonstrating the broader implications of such disruptions.

Maida stressed that the issue is not about assigning blame but about establishing effective coordination between road construction authorities, contractors, and telecommunications operators. He highlighted that no road contractor intentionally disconnects a community, no telecommunications operator obstructs road construction, and no public agency wants to undermine vital national projects.

The NCC has inaugurated a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables, expanding its membership to include officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser to provide strategic oversight. This committee aims to develop effective coordination mechanisms before, during, and after road works.

The NCC has also classified telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure, requiring construction companies, engineers, contractors, and site supervisors to understand their responsibilities when working near such infrastructure. This classification aims to promote proper planning, due care, and accountability rather than criminalizing legitimate construction activities.

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, alongside the National Economic Council, has been working to strengthen compliance with right-of-way regulations and improve coordination around telecommunications infrastructure. This includes the proposed "dig once" approach to minimize damage to shared infrastructure.