The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged road construction companies, contractors, engineers and other stakeholders to adopt stronger preventive measures to protect fibre-optic cables during road construction, rehabilitation and excavation works.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the call on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic cables held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
According to an official statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Maida disclosed that more than 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded in the first six months of 2026, largely associated with road construction, excavation and related civil works.
He warned that frequent damage to fibre infrastructure could disrupt critical services and impose significant economic costs, noting that telecommunications networks now underpin banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security and emergency communications.
“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 stressed that the challenge was not about assigning blame to contractors or telecommunications operators, but about ensuring effective coordination before and during construction activities.
“Our central message is simple: Nigeria must build the roads that connect our communities while protecting the fibre networks that connect our economy. We need both forms of infrastructure, and we need them to work together,” he said.
The NCC boss recalled that fibre cuts in February 2024, including those caused by road construction, resulted in an almost network-wide disruption for one telecommunications operator, affecting millions of users for several hours and placing additional pressure on other networks.
To address the recurring problem, Maida disclosed that the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy had inaugurated the Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables.
He said the committee was established to develop practical coordination mechanisms to guide stakeholders before, during and after road construction and other civil works.
Maida further disclosed that the committee’s membership had recently been expanded to include representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, reflecting the security implications of protecting telecommunications infrastructure.
He noted that telecommunications infrastructure had been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, requiring it to be treated as national infrastructure and protected accordingly, with appropriate legal, regulatory and remedial consequences for damage.
The EVC urged telecommunications operators, contractors, government agencies, regulators and security agencies to play their respective roles in preventing damage to fibre infrastructure.
He stressed that coordination must become an integral part of the planning and execution of road projects and other excavation activities, rather than an afterthought.
The workshop is part of ongoing efforts by the NCC and other stakeholders to institutionalise mechanisms for protecting telecommunications infrastructure, reducing service disruptions and supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
The engagement is expected to culminate in a framework for protecting fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction and other excavation activities across the country.
