Road construction, excavation and other civil works caused more than 5,000 fibre-optic cable cuts across Nigeria in the first six months of 2026, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed.

The commission said the incidents were largely linked to poor coordination between construction companies, government agencies and telecommunications operators before excavation work commenced, warning that continued damage to fibre infrastructure could undermine the country’s digital economy.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a Stakeholder Workshop on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables during road construction, rehabilitation and other civil works.

Maida said the scale of the damage reflected the need for a shift from reacting to fibre cuts after they occur to preventing them through proper planning and information sharing.

He noted that roads and fibre networks were both critical infrastructure for national development, stressing that the expansion of one should not come at the expense of the other.

“Before the first shovel entered the ground, there was often little or no coordination,” Maida said, identifying the absence of early engagement among stakeholders as a major factor behind the incidents.

According to him, fibre infrastructure has become a lifeline for banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security and emergency communications, meaning that damage to a cable could have consequences far beyond the immediate cost to a telecommunications operator.

He recalled that fibre cuts in February 2024 caused an almost network-wide disruption for one telecommunications operator, leaving millions unable to make calls, send messages or access the internet for several hours.

The disruption, he said, subsequently placed pressure on other networks as affected subscribers migrated to them, illustrating how damage to a single network could trigger wider consequences for the economy and citizens.

“A damaged fibre cable is therefore not simply a cost to an operator; it is a cost to Nigerians and to the wider economy,” Maida said.

The NCC chief said the Federal Government had taken steps to address the recurring problem through the Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables, inaugurated by the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

He said the committee was mandated to establish practical coordination mechanisms before, during and after road construction and other civil works.

According to him, the workshop was designed to ensure that construction companies, engineers, contractors and site supervisors understood the risks associated with working around fibre infrastructure, which has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure.

“Every fibre cut we prevent is more than an engineering success. It is a call that connects, a payment that goes through, a lesson that continues, a public service that remains available,” Maida stressed.

The NCC boss urged telecommunications operators to provide accurate information on cable routes, contractors to verify infrastructure locations before excavation, and government agencies to facilitate timely information sharing.

“Coordination must be part of every relevant project’s design and execution,” he stated.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, represented by the Director of Telecoms and Postal Services, Stanley Musa, described the protection of fibre infrastructure as a shared national responsibility.

Gagare said the government’s efforts to expand broadband infrastructure risked being undermined by recurring fibre cuts, which disrupt essential services, increase operational costs and could discourage investment in the digital sector.

He said the ministry had been working with relevant stakeholders to strengthen compliance with right-of-way regulations and improve coordination around telecommunications infrastructure.

The Permanent Secretary also recalled that the National Economic Council had approved a memorandum on the harmonisation of right-of-way charges and directed the ministry to develop standards and guidelines for the implementation of shared infrastructure, including the proposed “dig once” approach.

In his remarks, the Director, Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Air Vice Marshal Effiom Enebong Ewa, said every damaged fibre cable represented more than a technical fault, given its impact on governance, economic productivity, public services and the lives of Nigerians.

Ewa said fibre-optic infrastructure had been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure and warned that negligence, interference or actions that exposed such assets to damage could constitute offences under Nigerian law.

He therefore urged contractors, government institutions, telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to comply strictly with established protocols and procedures during construction and maintenance activities.

The workshop brought together government ministries and agencies, telecommunications operators, construction companies, contractors, security agencies and other stakeholders to examine the causes of fibre cuts and develop preventive measures.