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

Nigeria has experienced a significant surge in fiber-optic cable disruptions, with over 5,000 incidents recorded in the first half of 2026 alone. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) attributes the majority of these cuts to ongoing road construction, excavation, and related civil works. Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC's Executive Vice-Chairman, highlighted the issue at a workshop, emphasizing that these recurring damages disrupt vital digital services and impose substantial costs on operators, businesses, and citizens.

The consequences of damaged fiber infrastructure extend far beyond telecommunications. Disruptions can cripple essential services including banking, government operations, education, healthcare, commerce, and emergency communications. Maida recalled a near network-wide outage in late February 2024, caused by fiber cuts including those from road construction, which left millions of subscribers without calls, messages, or internet access for hours. This event also demonstrated how damage to one network can lead to congestion on others.

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The scale is significant. In the first six months of this year alone, over 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded from road construction, excavation and related civil works.

Recognizing the need for better collaboration, the NCC is not focused on assigning blame but on establishing effective coordination mechanisms. "No road contractor sets out to disconnect a community. No telecommunications operator wants to obstruct the building of a road. No public agency wants one vital national project to undermine another," Maida stated. He added, "Our interests are aligned; what has too often been missing is a dependable system of early coordination."

To address this, the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministries of Works and Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy have launched a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables. This committee aims to develop robust coordination strategies for before, during, and after road works. The committee's scope has been broadened to include officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, providing additional strategic oversight. Telecommunications infrastructure has been officially designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, underscoring its importance to national security and operations.

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No road contractor sets out to disconnect a community. No telecommunications operator wants to obstruct the building of a road. No public agency wants one vital national project to undermine another. Our interests are aligned; what has too often been missing is a dependable system of early coordination.