Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced plans to impose sanctions on road contractors who damage telecommunications metro fibre infrastructure during construction works across the country.
Idris Olorunnimbe, Chairman, Board of Commissioners of NCC, disclosed this during a congratulatory visit by members of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in Lagos.
Olorunnimbe said the Commission was determined to protect critical national infrastructure, stressing that contractors who destroy fibre cables must bear the responsibility of fixing them.
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“He who cuts it must fix it, and we’ll take this message to our state governments. If any contractor knows that if they damage that critical national infrastructure, their work is going to stop and they are going to be the ones to fix it, they will not destroy it,” he said.
Responding, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of ALTON, welcomed the move, noting that the absence of consequences for fibre cuts had emboldened contractors to continue damaging telecom infrastructure.
“Contractors of government carrying out roadworks destroy communications superhighway at will. If there are consequences, some of those actions will not have escalated to the level that we are in today,” Adebayo said.
He likened fibre cables to a national bridge, emphasizing that when the “communications superhighway” is broken, the entire country suffers disruptions in banking, education, security, and everyday connectivity.
Sector Challenges
In his remarks, Adebayo highlighted persistent challenges facing operators:
- Daily fibre cuts leading to nationwide service disruptions.
- Destruction of critical digital infrastructure without compensation.
- Multiple taxation at sub-national levels, often enforced through site shutdowns.
- Overlapping regulatory interventions by various government agencies, creating duplicative investigations and compliance burdens.
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He called for:
- A structured fibre mapping and coordination framework before road construction projects.
- Legislative reinforcement of NCC’s independence to ensure credible oversight and investor confidence.
- A harmonized national telecom taxation framework to support broadband expansion and digital inclusion.
Way Forward
Both NCC and ALTON agreed that protecting fibre infrastructure is essential for Nigeria’s digital economy. They stressed that sanctions, legal deterrents, and stronger regulatory safeguards would help stabilize the sector and ensure uninterrupted national connectivity.
