Fibre cuts jump 900% in January despite critical infrastructure protection

2026-02-24 14:02:37

Telecommunications operators in Nigeria recorded a dramatic surge in fibre optic cable damage in January 2026, with incidents rising by 900% compared to the previous month, according to official data.

Analysis of incident reports published by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that fibre cuts increased from just 4 cases in December 2025 to 40 incidents in January 2026, marking one of the steepest month-on-month spikes in recent years.

The spike comes despite the Federal Government’s 2024 designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), a policy aimed at protecting network assets from vandalism and accidental destruction.

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What the data is saying

The NCC incident report shows that after the significant jump recorded in January, the rate of fibre cuts is not slowing down in February either.

Between February 1 and 17, the report shows that 18 fibre cuts incidents have been recorded.
This brought the total to 58 disruptions within the first seven weeks of the year.
Analysis of the January and February incidents data shows that about 90% of the reported incidents occurred in Abuja, while pockets of it were recorded in Lagos, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, and Abia states.

Affected operators include Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN), T2 (9mobile), Airtel, MTN, IPNX, and Layer 3.

Get up to speed

Apparently disturbed by the surge recorded in January, the NCC and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) earlier this month issued a joint statement threatening to prosecute construction firms, contractors, and individuals responsible for damaging fibre optic cables during road construction and other civil works.

According to them, avoidable fibre damage caused by negligence, poor coordination, or unauthorised excavation now constitutes a criminal offence under existing laws, stressing that enforcement will be stepped up nationwide.

They warned that the destruction of telecom infrastructure poses a direct threat to national security, economic stability, and public safety, especially as Nigeria becomes increasingly reliant on digital connectivity for commerce and public services.

According to the agencies, telecom fibre infrastructure is now formally protected under the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order 2024.

“Consequently, any damage resulting from unauthorized digging, construction activities, or failure to collaborate with relevant authorities to prevent damage during construction constitutes a criminal offence,” the statement read in part.

They added that offenders, including construction companies, government contractors, and individuals, will face prosecution and applicable sanctions under existing laws, including the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc. Act 2015.

“Future damage to fibre optic infrastructure caused by excavation, road construction, or any civil engineering activity conducted without due consultation or collaboration with network operators and relevant regulators will attract strict legal consequences,” the agencies warned.

Given the high rate of incidents already recorded in February, it would seem the warning has yet to yield the expected impact.

More insights

Highlighting the severity of the attacks on telecom infrastructure, Senior Manager at Broadbased Communications, Jude Ighomena, revealed that telecom operators lost an estimated N5 billion in 2024 due to infrastructure damage in Lagos State alone.

According to him, over 2,500 fibre cuts were recorded in the same year, causing widespread service disruptions and financial losses.

He noted that Lagos’ busiest commercial districts—Ikeja, Lekki, and Victoria Island—are the most affected, with road construction and private developments frequently damaging underground fibre cables.

“These recurring incidents stem from poor planning, lack of coordination, and overlapping regulatory mandates.
“With no centralised framework, government agencies, construction firms, and telecom operators work independently, leading to repeated damages without accountability,” he said.

While the CNII criminalizes any form of attack against telecom infrastructure, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the current lack of effective prosecution has led to a culture of impunity, with individuals and organisations feeling they could damage public infrastructure without facing consequences.

Citing an example, Adebayo said:

“In England, if you crash into a telecommunications pole while driving, the state prosecutes the offender, not the telecoms provider.
“This highlights the seriousness of damaging public infrastructure, which can result in significant penalties, including imprisonment.”

The ALTON boss stressed the need to apply a similar approach to protecting Nigeria’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

He added that by doing so, the government would not only be protecting the industry’s infrastructure but also ensuring the continued provision of essential communication services to the Nigerian people.

What you should know

In August 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed an official gazette designating telecom infrastructure as critical national information infrastructure and making it a criminal offence for anyone to wilfully destroy such infrastructure in the country.

According to the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the gazette, ‘Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024’, is a significant step that would strengthen and protect investments in the ICT sector.

However, that was not the first time such a declaration would be made. In June 2020, the immediate past Minister of Communications, Dr. Isa Pantami announced a similar action by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Pantami, Buhari approved and also directed those necessary physical protective measures be put in place to safeguard telecommunications infrastructure deployed across the country.

That pronouncement failed to have any impact as vandalism of the infrastructure has remained a daily occurrence across the country to date.

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