The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed construction companies and engineers to exercise greater caution and adopt protective measures during road construction and rehabilitation across the country, following more than 5,000 fibre optic cable cuts recorded by the telecom industry between January and June 2026.

According to a press statement seen by Technext, NCC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Dr. Aminu Maida issued the call on Tuesday during a stakeholders' workshop held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.

Maida emphasized that fibre infrastructure serves as a critical communications backbone connecting millions of Nigerians to digital services and economic opportunities. Each fibre cut can cause degraded network quality or significant outages, disrupting businesses and digital payment systems. Telecom infrastructure functions as a vital national lifeline linking essential sectors including banking, government services, education, healthcare, commerce, security, and emergency communications.

The scale of the problem is significant for a country that has been actively expanding its national fibre backbone to support its broadband penetration goals under the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025. Fibre cuts and associated damage to core networks can disrupt essential services while imposing rising repair costs on telecom operators and lost productivity on consumers. According to Maida, over 5,000 fibre-cut incidents during the first half of 2026 were attributed to road construction, excavation, and related civil works.

"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.

While road construction is essential for connecting communities, Maida stressed that contractors must carry out their work while safeguarding the fibre networks that underpin the economy. Nigeria has been undertaking major federal road rehabilitation and expansion projects across multiple states, increasing the frequency of interaction between civil works crews and buried telecom infrastructure.

"We need both forms of infrastructure, and we need them to work together," he added.

The NCC chief urged stakeholders to adopt a coordinated strategy focused on preventing infrastructure damage rather than assigning blame. He acknowledged that no road contractor deliberately intends to disconnect a community, just as operators do not seek to obstruct road construction.

During the first three months of the year, telecom operators recorded an average of 500 fibre cuts per week. Separately, Nigerian telecoms companies recorded 19,384 fibre cuts over an eight-month period.

This is not the first time the regulator has cautioned contractors. In early 2026, the NCC and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) jointly warned construction companies and individuals against negligent practices that cause avoidable damage to fibre-optic cables. The agencies reiterated the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order 2024, a presidential designation that classifies telecom infrastructure as nationally critical and therefore subject to enhanced legal protections. Under the order, construction companies and government contractors that damage fibre-optic cables may face sanctions as stipulated in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.

Despite the existing regulatory framework and timely interventions, fibre cut incidents continue to rise due to vandalism, theft, and construction-related damage.

In a new initiative, Maida announced that the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy have inaugurated the Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables. The committee is tasked with developing practical coordination mechanisms to be applied before, during, and after roadworks.

Maida also noted that the committee's membership has been expanded to include representatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser, reflecting the security considerations surrounding telecom infrastructure. He further urged telecom operators to fulfill their roles in preventing fibre damage and to ensure effective coordination with contractors.