Fibre cuts hit 5,000 as road works intensify

The Nigerian Communications Commission has reported over 5,000 fibre-optic cable cuts in the first half of 2026, primarily due to road construction, excavation, and related civil works. Executive Vice-Chairman Dr Aminu Maida spoke about the issue at a stakeholders' workshop on protecting fibre-optic cables during road activities.

Maida emphasized that frequent fibre cuts disrupt essential digital services and impose costs on telecommunications operators, businesses, and citizens. Inadequate coordination among stakeholders before construction activities is a key factor in these incidents. In the past, fibre cuts caused network-wide disruptions for a telecommunications operator, affecting millions of subscribers and creating congestion as users switched to other networks.

The Nigerian Communications Commission is establishing a Standing Committee to develop coordination mechanisms before, during, and after road works, including officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser for strategic oversight. The protection of fibre infrastructure is considered a shared national responsibility, with the Federal Ministry of Communications working to strengthen compliance with right-of-way regulations and propose a "dig once" approach to minimize damage.