NCC and NSCDC threaten legal action against road construction companies over cable cuts

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned construction companies and individuals against negligent practices leading to avoidable damage to fibre-optic cables during road construction. According to the Commission, vandals risk facing prosecution and other legal action.

In a joint press statement released by the NCC and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Wednesday, the agencies expressed concern about the rising cases of fibre-optic cable cuts nationwide. According to the statement seen by Technext, the agencies stated that vandalism of telecoms infrastructure constitutes a crime. 

Telecom equipment has been previously classified as national assets by the NCC and Officer of the National Security Adviser of Nigeria. Under the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order 2024, telecommunication fibre infrastructure is classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure.

Growing cases of fibre cuts have threatened Nigeria’s digital economy, caused network outage to voice and data services, disrupted daily business operations and kept nationwide connectivity under pressure. A report by NCC shows that the Nigerian telecoms industry suffered a total of 19,384 fibre cuts between January and August 2025.

As a result, the agency has noted that telecom infrastructure destruction, whether through negligence, lack of coordination, or willful actions, poses a direct threat to national security, economic stability, and public safety. 

“Consequently, any damage resulting from unauthorised digging, construction activities, or failure to collaborate with relevant authorities to prevent damage during construction constitutes a criminal offence,” part of the statement reads. 

NCC and NSCDC warned that individuals, construction companies, or government contractors who damage fibre optic cables will face applicable sanctions as contained in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.

The agencies have now directed construction companies and civil engineers to consult and collaborate with network operators and relevant regulators when engaging in road construction. Failure to inform or collaborate will attract strict legal consequences, according to the statement.

In addition, the agencies admonished government agencies and developers to conduct pre‑construction verification of fibre routes before and during construction. This involves collaboration with both the NCC and NSCDC to adhere to approved guidelines for right‑of‑way management and reporting any accidental damage immediately to enable necessary actions.

Also Read: Nigerian telecoms suffered 118 network outages in December 2025.

NCC, telcos recount fibre cuts incidents in 2025

Vandalisation of telecoms infrastructures has caused repeatable financial loss to mobile network operators and disruption in internet connectivity nationwide. By extension, these vices are negatively impacting essential services, including banking, healthcare, education, and security.

In the first eight months of 2025, the industry suffered 19,384 cases of fibre cuts. During the same period, it recorded 3,241 cases of equipment theft, over 19,000 cases of denials of access to telecom sites, which resulted in prolonged shutdown.

MTN Nigeria recently disclosed that it experienced 9,218 cases of fibre cuts in 2025, which disrupted its network and internet service operations. In the same light, the operator saw about 211 telecom sites impacted by theft and vandalism between January 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025.

Another report by Technext with data from the uptime portal shows that operators experienced 118 cases of network outages in December 2025.

These disruptions not only reflect the loss of the industry but also indicate the struggle of telecom subscribers to enjoy a quality voice and data service experience.

NCC and NSCDC encouraged the public to report any act of fibre-optic infrastructure sabotage or damage to the nearest NSCDC Office or email to protect@ncc.gov.ng,cipu@nscdc.gov.ng or call 622 toll-free.

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