Cut Cables, Cut Growth: Fibre Vandalism & Nigeria’s Digital Setback
By TOSI ORE
NIGERIA’S ambition to build a robust digital economy is facing a relentless and costly threat: the widespread vandalism of fibre optic infrastructure. Despite policy reforms, inter-agency collaborations, and the classification of telecom assets as critical national infrastructure, operators continue to record alarming levels of fibre cuts—disruptions that undermine broadband expansion, hurt businesses, and leave millions of subscribers offline.
A Persistent Threat to Connectivity
Across Nigeria, telecom operators are grappling with frequent network disruptions caused largely by fibre optic cuts. These incidents—often linked to vandalism, theft, and uncoordinated construction activities—have continued unabated, even as stakeholders intensify efforts to curb them.
Industry data indicates that more than 70,000 fibre cuts have been recorded nationwide in the last three years, a figure that highlights both the scale and persistence of the challenge. Each cut translates into service outages, revenue losses, and a dent in consumer confidence, threatening Nigeria’s broadband and digital inclusion goals.
Operators Count Heavy Losses
Major telecom operators have borne the brunt of the crisis. MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest operator, reported 9,218 fibre cuts in 2025 alone, averaging about 25 incidents daily. This followed approximately 9,000 cuts in 2024 and 6,000 in 2023—bringing MTN’s three-year total to over 24,000 incidents.
Airtel Nigeria has also raised concerns. In 2024, the operator reported an average of 43 fibre cuts daily, amounting to over 7,700 cases in six months and roughly 15,400 within a year. Collectively, industry figures suggest an average of about 46,000 fibre cuts over a three-year period, excluding additional disruptions from theft, power outages, and bushfires.
While operators such as Glo and T2 (formerly Etisalat) recorded fewer incidents due to smaller network footprints, they were not immune to the widespread impact of infrastructure vandalism.
Network Outages and Consumer Impact
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Uptime Portal paints a similar picture. In December 2025 alone, 118 network outage incidents were recorded nationwide, with MTN accounting for 64 disruptions. These outages affect everything from voice calls and internet browsing to banking transactions, education platforms, and healthcare services.
In 2023, telecom operators estimated losses of at least $23 million (₦35.4 billion) due to fibre cuts, a figure that underscores the economic cost of infrastructure vandalism beyond mere inconvenience.
Regulator Raises the Alarm
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, disclosed that the industry recorded 19,384 fibre cuts between January and August 2025, stressing that the trend should not be trivialised.
“These statistics represent service disruptions for millions of Nigerians and losses running into billions of naira,” Maida said, warning that unchecked fibre vandalism could slow Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
Government Steps In
In response, the Federal Government has taken decisive policy steps. Telecom infrastructure—including towers, fibre lines, base stations, and data centres—has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), making vandalism a serious national security offence.
Additionally, the NCC has partnered with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to prevent damage to fibre cables, particularly during road construction and excavation projects often carried out without coordination with network operators.
In February 2025, the Federal Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy set up an inter-ministerial committee to protect fibre optics. The committee, comprising officials from both ministries and the NCC, coordinates cable protection efforts before, during, and after road projects.
Why Fibre Matters
According to the NCC, fibre optic cables are the backbone of modern telecommunications, providing high bandwidth, low latency, and reliable connectivity. Fibre enables digital services across critical sectors, including education, healthcare, banking, commerce, and governance.
Without stable fibre infrastructure, Nigeria’s push toward e-government, fintech innovation, telemedicine, and remote learning remains severely constrained.
Broadband Targets Missed
Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020–2025 targeted 70 percent broadband penetration nationwide. However, data from the NCC shows that the country reached only 50.58 percent penetration by November 2025.
From January to November 2025, broadband penetration increased by just 4.97 percent, having entered the year at 45.61 percent. Industry experts believe persistent fibre vandalism played a major role in missing the ambitious national target.
A Road Still Under Construction
While policy frameworks and enforcement partnerships offer hope, stakeholders agree that sustained vigilance, stricter penalties, and better coordination between government agencies, contractors, and operators are essential.
Until fibre infrastructure is adequately protected, Nigeria’s digital economy will remain vulnerable—its broadband dreams repeatedly cut short by vandals, negligence, and weak enforcement.
