Road building and related civil works around the country are a major risk to fiber-optic cables, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
In a statement released on Sunday, ACC Afolabi Babawale, the National Public Relations Officer at the National Headquarters in Abuja, warned that careless individuals would face punishment for the increasing number of preventable fiber-optic cuts.
The NCC and NSCDC emphasised that fiber-optic cables are vital national assets that drive Nigeria’s digital economy, streamline government operations, link enterprises, provide seamless communication, and support emergency services. They went on to say that eliminating them—whether by accident, miscommunication, or deliberate action—endangers public safety, economic stability, and the nation’s security.
The organisations claim that telecommunication fibre infrastructure is designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure under the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order 2024.
This means that it is a crime to cause harm during construction by excavating without permission or by not working with the proper authorities to avoid such damage.
Damage to fiber-optic infrastructure, whether by people, businesses, or government contractors, would result in prosecution and penalties under current legislation, notably the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.
There will be severe legal ramifications for any future excavation, road construction, or civil engineering work that damages fiber-optic infrastructure without proper consultation or cooperation with network operators and applicable regulators. This was their categorical warning.
They urged all levels of government, including private developers, road construction companies, utility service providers, and state and local agencies, to follow certain protocols during construction, including verifying fibre routes before work begins, working closely with the National Communications Commission (NCC), telecom operators, and the NSCDC, and reporting any accidental damage immediately so that damage can be quickly addressed.