27,685 Fibre Cuts in One Year Threaten Nigeria’s Broadband Future – Maida

Nigeria recorded more than 27,685 fibre cut incidents, over 27,000 cases of access denial and 4,210 cases of telecommunications infrastructure theft in 2025 alone, exposing the scale of vandalism and disruption threatening the country’s digital economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed the figures on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) Deployment in Lagos.

According to Maida, the incidents have continued to disrupt communications services, increase operators’ maintenance costs, weaken network reliability and discourage fresh investment in broadband infrastructure.

“The scale of the challenge is significant,” he said, noting that the industry recorded over 27,685 fibre cuts, more than 27,000 access denial incidents and 4,210 theft cases between January and December 2025.

He stressed that protecting telecommunications infrastructure must now become “a shared national duty” because damage to fibre networks extends far beyond the telecommunications industry.

“When fibre is cut, the impact goes far beyond an operator’s balance sheet. It affects students, hospitals, businesses, banks, public services and ordinary citizens. Protecting telecoms infrastructure is therefore protecting the productivity and wellbeing of the Nigerian economy,” Maida said.

The NCC boss said the alarming figures underscore the importance of fully implementing the Presidential Order designating telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).

He said the Commission, working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other government agencies, is pursuing stronger enforcement of technical and security standards, public awareness campaigns, stakeholder engagement and coordinated intervention where disputes threaten telecom infrastructure.

Maida added that the Commission has also deepened collaboration with the National Assembly, state attorneys-general, security agencies, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, industry associations and the media to strengthen protection for telecommunications assets.

He further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the NCC established a Joint Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables in February 2025 to improve coordination before, during and after road construction activities—one of the leading causes of fibre damage across the country.

Beyond infrastructure protection, the NCC chief said Nigeria must significantly accelerate Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment if it hopes to sustain the country’s growing digital economy.

He noted that internet connectivity has become indispensable for education, commerce, healthcare, financial inclusion and public service delivery, with Nigeria recording 154.72 million active internet subscriptions as of April 2026, while broadband penetration increased from 48.81 per cent to 55.67 per cent within one year.

Despite the rapid growth in internet usage, Maida observed that fixed broadband remains largely untapped, with only about 265,000 active FTTH subscriptions nationwide, placing Nigeria well below both the African average and global broadband benchmarks. He described the gap as a major opportunity for investment rather than a setback.

To improve the investment climate, he said the NCC is undertaking a Wholesale Fixed Broadband Market Assessment aimed at promoting competition, expanding infrastructure sharing and encouraging open-access networks that will deliver more affordable broadband services.

The Commission is also continuing engagements with state governments to eliminate barriers to fibre deployment through right-of-way reforms. According to Maida, 13 states have completely waived right-of-way charges, while 16 others have adopted the National Economic Council’s recommended rate of N145 per linear metre.

He urged governments and property developers to begin treating broadband infrastructure as essential public infrastructure by incorporating fibre ducts into the planning and construction of new estates, roads and communities, just as provisions are made for electricity, water and drainage systems.

Maida also highlighted Project BRIDGE, the Federal Government’s ambitious initiative to deploy approximately 90,000 kilometres of additional fibre-optic cable to extend high-capacity broadband connectivity to all 774 local government areas, describing the project as a critical step towards bridging Nigeria’s digital divide.

He, however, noted that the success of the backbone project would ultimately depend on widespread last-mile FTTH deployment connecting homes, schools, hospitals and businesses.

He called on governments, operators, infrastructure providers, developers and local communities to take collective responsibility for protecting telecom infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for investment, warning that Nigeria’s ambition of building a globally competitive digital economy depends on a resilient fibre network.

“Fibre infrastructure is now foundational to Nigeria’s digital economy, inclusive growth and global competitiveness. Addressing deployment challenges, strengthening standards and ensuring sustainable rollout must therefore be treated as a national development priority,” he said.