The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works and Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has established a Joint Standing Committee on the Protection of Fiber Optic Cables.
The joint standing committee was set up to address the persistent issue of fiber optic cuts and damages caused by road construction and rehabilitation activities.
Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Reuben Muoka, disclosed this in a press release, 2025/Vol. 3/No.2, on Monday.
The disruptions caused by the persistent issue of fiber optic cuts and damages caused by road construction and rehabilitation activities have significantly impacted negatively on telecommunications services across the country.
The Joint Standing Committee on Protection of Fiber Optic Cables was inaugurated by the permanent secretaries of the two ministries, Engineer Olufunso Adebiyi and Engineer Farouk Yusuf, last Tuesday.
Also in the attendance at the inauguration of the committee was the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida.
The joint standing committee is comprised of key staff from the two ministries and the national telecommunications regulatory agency.
The main assignment of the joint standing committee is to establish and maintain clear communication/co-ordination channels between the two ministries and the NCC.
This is in order to limit and prevent damage to telecommunications fiber optic cables during road constructions or rehabilitation activities.
Inaugurating the committee, Engineer Adebiyi directed it to establish modalities to ensure the reduction of damage to deployed fiber optic cables resulting from road construction and maintenance activities, as well as vandalism which has caused severe incidences of service disruption across the country.
He said the committee will serve as a coordinating body for all issues pertaining to the protection of fiber optic cables before, during and after the completion of road constructions or maintenance activities.
He added that it will be meeting on a regular basis to discuss identified problems, agree on industry-wide solutions, set standard engagement processes and procedures, as well as share monthly performance reports.
“They are also expected to develop an instant communication mechanism to facilitate prompt communication and dissemination of information amongst all stakeholders,” Adebiyi said.
He assured that the Ministry will ensure that the placement of fiber cables will be considered in the planning, design and construction of the country’s road networks, adding that it would include providing for ducts during constructions.
Adebiyi further stated that the committee will work closely with all Federal Controllers of Works (FCW) to give attention to the task of protecting the sensitive infrastructure during the planning and implementation stages of projects across the roads in the country, while aligning with telecom operators on all ongoing and future projects.
Engineer Yusuf, in his remarks, highlighted the significance of fiber optics cables to the country’s economy.
He stated that fiber networks are the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy, enabling the seamless delivery of both fixed and mobile broadband services essential for nationwide connectivity, economic growth and technological innovation.
Yusuf noted that the work of the committee is crucial to ensuring that telecommunications services are not hampered by the work of construction companies.
EVC/CEO of NCC, Dr. Maida, emphasised the significance of the mandate of the committee. He noted that it has the potential to significantly reduce service disruptions across the telecommunications industry.
Maida stated: “This is a pivotal moment for the telecommunications industry and its customers.
“Fiber networks are the foundation of Nigeria’s broadband ecosystem, providing the essential high-capacity backhaul required to deliver ultra-fast 4G and 5G speeds, as these next-generation mobile technologies rely on fiber infrastructure to ensure low latency, high reliability, and seamless data transmission.
“Last year, we experienced over 50,000 fiber cuts incidents across the country of which around 30,000 were attributed to federal and state road construction activities.
“In the extreme, some of these incidents had led to major network outages like the February 2024 nationwide MTN network outage.
“A key contributor to the increasing number of fiber cuts attributed to road construction activities is the lack of an efficient handshake mechanism between road construction companies and operators of the fiber infrastructure.
“I am optimistic that the work of this committee will lead to a significant reduction in fiber cuts attributed to road construction which would then reduce network outages, avoid unnecessary expenditure on repair works and reduce the need to put redundant routes in place to serve as alternatives whenever there are outages due to fiber cuts.
“This initiative is not just for the benefit of the telecommunications industry but for all Nigerians. Every time a fiber cut occurs, consumers experience service disruptions.
“The industry is forced to invest in costly redundancy measures, but if we can prevent these avoidable disruptions, operators can redirect resources towards network expansion and infrastructure improvement.”
