Broadbased Communications on Friday said that the persistent issue of fibre cuts in Lagos State had resulted in an estimated ₦5 billion loss to telecom operators in 2024 alone.
The Senior Manager, Broadbased Communications, Jude Ighomena, made this known at the 7th edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this year’s PIAFo theme is “Strengthening Protection on Critical Information Infrastructure Through Proactive Implementation and Strategic Coordination.”
Ighomena said that in 2024, telecom operators in Lagos recorded over 2,500 fibre cuts, which caused significant disruptions to telecom services.
He said that the high-risk zones for fibre cuts include Ikeja, Lekki, and Victoria Island, where road expansions and private developments frequently damage buried fibre cables.
According to him, the Mainland and Alimosho Local Government Areas in Lagos have also become notable for fibre cable theft and vandalism.
“These recurring incidents are attributed to poor planning, lack of coordination and overlapping regulatory mandates.
“The lack of a centralised regulatory framework results in government agencies, construction firms and telcos operating independently, leading to repeated damages without accountability.
“The impact of fibre cuts on telecom services is multifaceted, resulting in economic losses, service disruptions, consumer frustration and security concerns,’’ he said.
Ighomena advocated for stronger policies, stricter enforcement and effective redress mechanisms to address the issue.
According to him, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has guidelines in place to recognise telecom infrastructure as critical and grant operators the right to report and seek redress for damages.
He, however, said that more needed to be done to protect telecom infrastructure and ensure service reliability.
“The time to act is now! Continuous disruptions threaten financial stability, business operations and public trust,” Ighomena said.
Meanwhile, in a panel discussion, stakeholders at the forum called for collective efforts by the government, regulators and private sector stakeholders.
They called for a collaboration to establish a Fibre Protection Framework, implement real-time monitoring, enforce strict penalties and push for legal compensation mechanisms.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cedarview Communications Ltd., Wale Owoeye, said that the use cases of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) were growing hugely.
Owoeye said that Telemedicine, E-governance, ease of doing business, human lifestyle, entertainment, security, safety, access control, aviation, all leverage on the infrastructure.
He said it was important to ensure that all reach a stage whereby the CNI are well protected, adding that a lot of work was needed in the industry to fast-track and ensure enforcement and prosecution.
Segun Okuneye, Divisional CEO, IxPN, said that what had worked in these scenarios was self-regulation.
“Regulations can send directions and roadmaps, but the operators themselves, must all come together to self-regulate and self-align with each other,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Swift Telephone Network, Mr Wole Adetuyi, called on the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to be more proactive in disseminating information on data protection.
Adetuyi said that as long as hackers did not relent, NDPC should not relent in ensuring the safety and security of information sharing.
The Chief Administration and Human Resource Officer, LASIMRA, Dr Motunrayo Abimbola, called for education and creating awareness of the need to protect Critical National Infrastructure.
Abimbola noted that sometimes, the regulators notice deliberate and neat fibre cable cuts that are not associated with regular damage.
She said that these are a challenge because the cable cuts are done to get information, and should be discontinued.
Abimbola called for the residents' sensitisation regarding the implications of being caught in the act of cutting cables.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Convener of PIAFo, Mr Omobayo Azeez, said that stakeholders must work together to protect Nigeria’s digital economy.
Azeez said President Bola Tinubu's recent passage of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order was a significant milestone in strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy.
However, he stressed that implementing the order required a concerted effort from all stakeholders to prevent incessant fibre cuts, nationwide service outages and financial losses.
The convener commended telecommunications operators, associations, regulators, and ICT journalists for championing the passage of the CNII Order.
He also expressed gratitude to sponsors and partners for their support, saying that their contributions were invaluable to PIAFo's mission.
NAN reports that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is responsible for implementing the CNII Order.