📍Abuja | Media360Impact Report
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for stronger coordination between road construction companies, contractors, engineers, government agencies and telecommunications operators to prevent damage to fibre-optic infrastructure during road works and other excavation activities.
The NCC said more than 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded across Nigeria in the first six months of 2026, with road construction, excavation and related civil works identified among the major causes.
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 (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
Maida stressed that Nigeria’s efforts to expand physical infrastructure must go hand in hand with the protection of the digital networks that support the country’s economy and essential services.
He described telecommunications infrastructure as a critical national lifeline, noting that it supports banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security and emergency communications.
According to him, damage to fibre infrastructure can trigger widespread service disruptions, affect businesses and impose additional costs on citizens 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 emphasised that the issue should not be viewed as a conflict between road construction and telecommunications operators, but as a coordination challenge requiring all stakeholders to work together before and during construction activities.
“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 chief recalled that fibre cuts in February 2024, including those associated with road construction, contributed to an almost network-wide disruption for one telecommunications operator, affecting millions of users for several hours and placing additional pressure on other networks.
Maida disclosed that 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 practical coordination mechanisms before, during and after road construction projects.
He added that the committee’s membership had recently been expanded to include representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, reflecting the growing security importance of telecommunications infrastructure.
The NCC said telecommunications infrastructure has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, requiring stronger protection and appropriate legal, regulatory and remedial measures against damage.
Maida urged telecommunications operators, construction companies, government institutions, regulators and security agencies to take responsibility for preventing fibre damage and make coordination a standard part of project planning and execution.
The Abuja workshop is part of ongoing efforts to establish a coordinated framework for protecting fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction, excavation and other civil engineering activities.
The NCC said the initiative is expected to contribute to reducing service disruptions and supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation by ensuring that physical infrastructure development does not undermine the telecommunications networks on which citizens, businesses and public institutions depend.
Source: Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
