Nigeria's telecoms regulator has enlisted the country's intelligence officers to help it bring down gangs responsible for fibre damage.
This comes as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reports that the telecoms sector is experiencing rampant vandalism and infrastructure damage, with 19,384 fibre cuts reported between January and August 2025.
The NCC also recorded 3,241 occurrences of equipment theft and over 19,000 incidences of site access denial, which caused lengthy network outages across the country.
At a discussion co-organized by the Ministry of Finance, the World Bank, and the Nigeria Governors Forum, NCC executive vice chairman Dr. Aminu Maida warned that frequent interruptions endanger Nigeria's digital economy and national security.
He noted that operators are losing billions of Nairas due to repeated vandalism, theft, and uncooperative host communities.
These damages have severely affected essential services such as banking, healthcare, education, and security, with multiple network disruptions recorded in states including Rivers, Lagos, Enugu, Katsina, and Anambra.
Leading operator, MTN Nigeria, also reported over 5,400 fibre cuts as of July 2025 alone.
These are not just figures,” Maida said. “They represent millions of Nigerians disconnected and a growing threat to our national progress.”
As a result, Dr. Maida revealed that collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser has led to the dismantling of cartels behind fibre sabotage, while a new working group with the Ministry of Works has been formed to improve coordination and prevent accidental cable cuts during road construction.
He added that the NCC is enforcing compliance with Critical National Infrastructure protection orders signed by President Bola Tinubu in 2024, and will soon launch a Digital Connectivity Index to rank states on broadband performance and resilience.
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