Telecom operators are currently battling approximately 1,100 fibre cuts weekly, 545 access denials, and 99 theft incidents in the last six months, which have further compounded the quality of telephone services in the country.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which has been monitoring the trend, said the acts remained a grave concern for the telecoms sector.
The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, revealed this yesterday at the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) and the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) organised CNII and Sustainability Conference 2025.
In a related development, the ALTON, in a statement signed by the Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, raised concerns about ongoing disruptions to the supply logistics of diesel to cell sites across the country, stressing that possible telecom blackout is imminent.
ALTON in a statement signed by the Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said the body received credible reports that members of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), on Tuesday, blocked access to diesel loading depots in Kaduna, Lagos and Koko (Delta State), preventing the distribution of diesel to thousands of telecommunications sites operated by one of our key members, IHS Towers.
Maida at the CNII conference, represented by the Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, revealed that MTN, Airtel, 9mobile and other telecom operators now record an average of 1,100 fibre cuts weekly.
Maida said the operators also recorded an average of 545 access denial cases and 99 theft incidents weekly, all of which threaten service delivery, operational stability, and national security.
“These are not just numbers. They reflect a national emergency. Every fibre cut, every theft, and every case of sabotage contributes to dropped calls, failed transactions, interrupted emergency services, and economic losses,” Maida warned.
The NCC boss stressed that the persistent damage to telecom infrastructure has become a major obstacle to Nigeria’s digital transformation goals.
With the economy increasingly reliant on resilient digital networks, disruptions caused by vandalism and neglect are stalling progress.
“Our fibre networks, towers and data centres are the digital lifelines of the Nigerian economy. Any disruption to them has far-reaching consequences,” he said.
Maida further noted that telecom infrastructure had been officially designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) by President Bola Tinubu under Section 3 of the Cybersecurity Act—placing a national security responsibility on operators, service providers, civil society, and citizens alike.
To address the crisis, he said, the Commission has adopted a multi-pronged strategy involving technical enforcement, public sensitisation, and collaboration with national security agencies.
Maida noted that NCC is currently enforcing compliance with infrastructure deployment standards, particularly in fibre-laying and tower construction.
