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A recent report shows that Nigerian telecom companies spent a huge N27 billion in 2023 to repair broken cables. The bulk of these costs were shouldered by MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest mobile network, and Airtel Africa Plc.
According to documents obtained by Bloomberg, MTN faced over 6,000 cuts to its fiber cables last year. One major incident occurred on February 28, when road construction, an oil company, and someone burning trash in a manhole caused more than five hours of data and voice outages for customers. To prevent future disruptions, MTN moved 2,500 kilometers (about 1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, costing over N11 billion. This amount could have been used to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines in areas without coverage.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also reported that the telecom industry spent N14 billion to repair about 59,000 fiber cuts between 2022 and 2023. In 2022 alone, there were around 40 fiber cuts happening daily. Over the past five years, more than 50,000 cases of serious damage to telecom infrastructure have been reported.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), emphasized the importance of fiber optic cables in today’s communication networks. These cables provide the high-speed internet and data transfers that are critical for businesses, government, and personal use. He pointed out that telecoms are key to the success of all other sectors of the economy and national security.
For telecoms to function well, they rely on a network of systems like fiber cables, towers, satellites, and data centers. Any damage to this infrastructure can affect the quality of service. Adebayo mentioned that issues like road construction, vandalism, theft, and delays in issuing permits for new towers have all contributed to the problem.
He called for stronger collaboration with government and other stakeholders to declare telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). This would make damage to telecom systems a serious offense, with harsher penalties for vandals.
Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), also backed the idea of a law that would protect telecom infrastructure from vandalism, particularly base stations.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, acknowledged the damage done to telecom infrastructure and the resulting service disruptions. With broadband penetration at 43.08 percent as of February 2024, Maida stressed the need to secure telecom infrastructure for continued growth and improved quality of service.
In addition, Nigeria’s Ministry of Works is working on a new regulation that will criminalize fiber damage and impose stricter penalties, especially for damage to underground cables.
