Mr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has expressed concern over the increasing rate of fibre-optic cable cuts, infrastructure vandalism, insecurity and multiple taxation, describing them as major threats to telecommunications service delivery in the country.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo
Adebayo made the remarks during an interview on ARISE News TV, where he highlighted the challenges confronting telecom operators and their impact on network reliability and service quality.
According to him, while international submarine cable infrastructure remains largely stable, terrestrial fibre networks across Nigeria are frequently disrupted by fibre cuts.
“The fibre-optic cable in the Atlantic has probably experienced only one outage in the last two years. In contrast, the fibre route running from Lagos to Kano records an average of about 40 cuts every day,” he said.
He noted that the recurring fibre cuts result in service disruptions, increased maintenance costs and reduced quality of service for subscribers.
The ALTON chairman also identified theft and vandalism of critical telecom infrastructure as a growing challenge facing operators.
According to him, batteries, generators and other network equipment are regularly stolen from telecom sites, while insecurity in some parts of the country often hampers efforts to restore services following network outages.
“There are security challenges. People are stealing batteries and generators, and in some locations operators cannot immediately access sites until security conditions improve,” he said.
Adebayo called for urgent government intervention to address right-of-way (RoW) charges and multiple taxation, which he said continue to impede the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure nationwide.
“Right-of-way charges should be eliminated across the country. The issue of multiple taxation must become a thing of the past,” he stated.
He stressed the need to treat telecommunications facilities as critical national infrastructure, noting that stronger protection would support Nigeria’s digital economy objectives and encourage further investment in the sector.
Speaking on rising energy costs, Adebayo said operators were increasingly investing in renewable and hybrid energy solutions to power network facilities.
He, however, noted that the transition requires significant investment and remains vulnerable to vandalism and theft.
“We are investing significantly in renewable energy and hybrid power solutions, but the transition takes time,” he said.
The ALTON chairman acknowledged recent support from government and industry regulators but maintained that sustainable growth in the sector would require stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions, regulators, operators and host communities.
He said tackling vandalism, insecurity, regulatory bottlenecks and infrastructure-related challenges would be critical to improving service quality, deepening broadband penetration and attracting more investment into Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Adebayo reiterated the industry’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through continued investment in network infrastructure and innovative technologies.
