The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says road construction and related excavation work cause more than 5,000 fibre optic cable cuts across Nigeria within the first half of 2026. NCC reports that the damage disrupts digital services and highlights the scale of incidents tied to civil engineering activity.
According to the NCC, these fibre cuts occur during road projects and other works that involve digging near telecom infrastructure. The outlets also report that the problem is linked to how activities are coordinated before construction begins, involving contractors, government bodies, and telecommunications providers. In this reporting, the recurring theme is that inadequate coordination and planning contribute to cables being cut.
While both sources focus on the same NCC figures and the role of road works, they frame the issue slightly differently: one emphasizes “over 5,000 fibre cuts in 6 months,” while the other describes “over 5,000 fibre links” damaged during the same period. Both attribute the incidents to excavation and construction rather than equipment failures or cyber causes, and both present the NCC’s warning as an effort to improve oversight and prevent further service interruptions.
