Over 35,000 fibre cuts, 3,000 thefts threaten Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure

Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has recorded more than 35,000 fibre cuts and 3,168 theft-related incidents so far in 2025, posing serious threats to service quality and the stability of the country’s digital infrastructure.

This alarming revelation was made by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, during a keynote address at the Industry Sustainability and Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Conference held in Lagos on Thursday. The event was organised by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) in partnership with the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).

Dr. Maida, represented by Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of the Technical Standards and Network Integrity Department at the NCC, disclosed that an average of 1,100 fibre cuts occur weekly—mostly due to vandalism, construction activities, and criminal sabotage.

Additionally, telecom operators face 545 weekly cases of site access denial and 99 theft incidents, making network expansion and maintenance increasingly difficult.

“These are not just technical issues. They pose a direct threat to Nigeria’s national resilience and digital economy,” Dr. Maida said, warning that such disruptions can cripple essential services in finance, health, security, and governance.

With the telecom sector contributing over 14.4% to Nigeria’s GDP, Dr. Maida emphasised the importance of treating the nation’s telecom infrastructure—already designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) under the Cybersecurity Act—with the utmost seriousness.

Despite this designation, the sector continues to grapple with infrastructure vandalism, diesel theft, permit delays, right-of-way hurdles, and rising cyber threats.

To combat these issues, he said the NCC is stepping up enforcement of technical standards, increasing public sensitisation, and strengthening collaboration with relevant agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the judiciary, state governments, and private operators, in enforcing the Presidential Order on CNII protection.

While noting that enforcement is a last resort, he called for a multi-stakeholder approach involving community participation, media support, and unified permitting systems to protect telecom assets.

“The communications sector is not only the nervous system of our digital economy; it is now a national resilience system,” he said. “Its sustainability and security cannot be taken for granted. The cost of inaction is steep—ranging from service disruptions and investor flight to national security risks.”

The conference brought together stakeholders from telecoms, media, security, and regulatory bodies to explore actionable strategies for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure and ensuring long-term industry sustainability.