Operators Hit by 35,000 Fibre Cuts, 3,168 Theft Cases in 2025 – Maida

The Nigerian telecommunications industry has suffered over 35,000 fibre cuts and 3,168 theft-related incidents so far in 2025, severely threatening service quality and the integrity of the nation’s digital infrastructure.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed these figures while delivering a keynote address at the Industry Sustainability and Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Conference held in Lagos on Thursday, by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA)

Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida

According to the EVC, an average of 1,100 fibre cuts are recorded weekly across the country, mostly from construction activities, vandalism, and criminal sabotage.

In addition, 545 cases of site access denial and 99 theft incidents occur each week, making it increasingly difficult for operators to maintain, secure, and expand their networks.

Represented by the Director of Technical Standard and Network Integrity Department of NCC, Engineer Edoyemi Ogoh, Dr. Maida warned that such disruptions are not just technical setbacks, but direct threats to Nigeria’s national resilience and digital economy.

“The telecom sector contributes over 14.4% to our GDP and supports critical services across finance, healthcare, security, and governance. Disruptions to telecom infrastructure can paralyse vital services,” he said.

He highlighted that Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) under the Cybersecurity Act, mandating increased protection efforts from all stakeholders.

He however lamented that despite this status, the sector continues to face challenges such as diesel theft, infrastructure vandalism, delays in obtaining permits, right-of-way issues, and growing cyber threats.

He assured that to counter these, the NCC is deepening its enforcement of technical standards, enhancing public awareness, and promoting inter-agency cooperation.

According to him, the Commission is also collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), judiciary, state governments, and private operators to enforce the Presidential Order on CNII protection.

While noting that enforcement remains a last resort, Dr. Maida stressed the importance of community involvement, media support, and industry-wide collaboration in safeguarding infrastructure.

He called for public awareness campaigns, unified permitting processes, stronger punitive measures against offenders, and community surveillance initiatives to defend telecom assets.

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

The conference, organised by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), brought together stakeholders from across the telecom, media, security, and regulatory spectrum to deliberate on practical solutions to infrastructure sabotage and industry sustainability.

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