Why Over 5000 Fibre Cuts In 6 Months Raise Fresh National Security Concerns — Experts

Nigeria’s growing dependence on telecommunications infrastructure for security operations, emergency response, financial transactions, government services and business activities has raised fresh national security concerns, following 5,934 fibre-optic cable cuts recorded in the first six months of 2026.

The scale of the incidents has heightened concerns over the vulnerability of infrastructure that supports critical services across the country, with the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, linking the protection of telecommunications infrastructure directly to national security and economic stability.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic cables during road construction in Abuja, the Director of Critical National Security and Infrastructure Protection at ONSA, Effiom Ewa, said damage to fibre infrastructure affects more than telecommunications services.

“Every fibre-optic cable damage is more than a disruption to a network,” Ewa said, adding that such damage affects “governance, economic productivity, public services, and the daily lives of Nigerians.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, disclosed that 5,934 fibre-optic cable cuts were recorded between January and June 2026, representing an average of about 65 incidents every day.

The incidents have also imposed a financial burden on telecommunications operators. Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, said operators spent N2.2 billion on direct repairs resulting from fibre cuts during the first half of the year.

The figure does not include revenue lost during network disruptions or capital that may have been diverted from network expansion to emergency repairs.

The growing dependence on telecommunications infrastructure is also reflected in Nigeria’s financial system.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s Payments System Vision 2028 identifies security, interoperability, inclusion, innovation, trust and collaboration as key principles for the development of the country’s payments system.

Electronic payment channels, including mobile payments, web payments, point-of-sale transactions and Nigeria Instant Payment, depend on communications networks to connect customers, merchants, banks and payment platforms.

Data from the CBN’s Q1 2026 statistical bulletin showed that transactions across major electronic payment channels were valued at N1.053 quadrillion during the quarter.

A disruption to telecommunications connectivity can affect POS terminals, mobile banking applications, digital transfers and other services even when the financial institutions involved remain operational.

Emergency response is similarly dependent on telecommunications networks.

The NCC operates Emergency Communications Centres connected to the 112 emergency number. The centres are designed to connect distressed citizens with response agencies, including the police, fire service, Federal Road Safety Corps and ambulance services.

A network outage can therefore affect the ability of citizens to contact emergency agencies and the ability of responders to communicate.

Telecommunications networks also provide communications support for security agencies, including coordination, information exchange and access to connected systems.

The Federal Government has recognised the wider importance of such infrastructure through its Critical National Information Infrastructure, CNII, framework.

The framework covers telecommunications networks, base stations, fibre-optic cables, data centres, towers, internet exchange points and other ICT facilities considered critical to national operations.

The February 2024 telecommunications disruption provided an indication of the consequences of damage to major fibre routes, affecting millions of users and interrupting access to telecommunications and digital services, including financial services.

The vulnerability also extends to government operations as Nigeria expands its use of digital identity, data exchange and online public services.

The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has identified digital public infrastructure as part of efforts to expand access to digital services and improve public-service delivery.

Government agencies increasingly require telecommunications networks to exchange information, access digital systems and provide online services.

Businesses also depend on the same infrastructure for activities ranging from POS transactions and logistics tracking to online orders, communication with clients and cloud-based operations.

The physical security of telecommunications infrastructure has consequently become a growing concern.

Telecommunications facilities are exposed to vandalism, theft, road construction and accidental damage, with road construction identified as one of the major sources of damage to underground fibre infrastructure.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Olarinre Adeladan, called for improved mapping and coordination between road projects and telecommunications infrastructure to prevent damage during excavation.

The NCC has established a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables involving government institutions and industry stakeholders, while ONSA has also been brought into the process.

ALTON has separately raised concerns about attacks on telecommunications sites, theft of equipment and security challenges affecting maintenance personnel.

Adebayo said technicians sometimes face difficulties accessing affected sites because of insecurity, delaying restoration of services.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, said the consequences of a damaged fibre cable could extend beyond the immediate location of the incident.

“To a machine operator on a construction site, it may appear to be one buried cable. To the nation, it can mean failed calls, stalled payments, interrupted services and missed opportunities,” Maida said.

The infrastructure supporting telecommunications services includes underground fibre routes, towers, base stations, data centres, power systems and other facilities spread across the country.

Protection therefore involves both physical security and network resilience, including alternative fibre routes, backup power, multiple transmission paths, accurate infrastructure mapping and rapid fault-response mechanisms.

The repeated fibre cuts have also brought the coordination of agencies responsible for roads, telecommunications and infrastructure development into focus.

Road contractors require accurate information about underground cables before excavation, while telecom operators require timely notification of construction activities that could affect their infrastructure.

Security agencies also have a role in protecting critical telecommunications facilities and maintenance personnel, particularly in areas affected by insecurity.

With telecommunications supporting security communications, emergency calls, financial transactions, public administration and business operations, disruptions to the infrastructure have consequences beyond the telecommunications industry.

The 5,934 fibre cuts recorded in the first half of 2026, alongside the N2.2 billion direct repair cost reported by operators, highlight the scale of the physical infrastructure challenge facing Nigeria’s increasingly digital economy.

As dependence on digital services grows, the reliability and protection of the infrastructure carrying those services remain central to the continuity of security communications, emergency response, financial services, public administration and economic activity.