Fibre Cuts Threaten Nigeria’s Digital Backbone, Prompting AI and Legal Safeguards

MTN Nigeria reported 5,478 fibre optic cable cuts between January and July 2025, marking a significant strain on the telecommunications sector. Road construction and vandalism are the primary culprits, with sabotage and infrastructure development accounting for 69% of these incidents [3]. In July alone, the company documented 760 fibre cuts, the highest monthly total in the seven-month period [2]. June was the most affected month, with 1,016 incidents recorded [2]. These disruptions have had a measurable impact on service quality across the country, leading to outages and reduced network stability. MTN’s Chief Technical Officer, Yahaya Ibrahim, highlighted that the South-East and South-South regions are hotspots for vandalism, with Akwa Ibom, Abia, and Rivers being particularly affected [3].

One significant incident involved 101 sites across 15 local government areas in Kano, Adamawa, and Borno states. MTN addressed this through scheduled maintenance on August 24, rerouting traffic to a newly installed fibre span in Adamawa State [1]. The company stated that the upgrade was essential to eliminate damaged infrastructure and improve network stability [1]. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted that the industry averages around 1,100 fibre cuts per week [2]. Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida emphasized that enforcement of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) protections is a last resort and that the NCC prefers collaboration and awareness campaigns to ensure the integrity of national communications systems [2].

The economic implications of these disruptions are substantial. In 2023, Nigerian telecom operators incurred approximately N27 billion ($23 million) in losses due to damaged cables [3]. MTN alone spent over N11 billion relocating 2,500 kilometers of vulnerable fibre between 2022 and 2023 [3]. These figures underscore the scale of investment required to mitigate disruptions and maintain service quality. The Nigerian government has taken steps to address the issue by designating telecommunications infrastructure as CNI under a presidential order signed in July 2024. This designation criminalizes the destruction of telecom infrastructure, with penalties including a 10-year jail term for offenders [3].

While the CNI policy is still in its early stages, MTN’s CTO noted that progress is being made to operationalize the law. Ibrahim emphasized the importance of educating the public on the role of telecommunications in supporting economic, social, and political activities in Nigeria [3]. The company has also explored technological solutions to address the problem. MTN plans to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technology in collaboration with Huawei to monitor and protect its fibre optic cables. This technology is expected to detect vibrations and alert personnel to incidents within minutes, enabling faster response times [3].

The disruptions have affected multiple operators, including Airtel, 9Mobile, and Globacom. Data from the NCC’s live incident portal revealed that service outages impacted at least nine states in June 2025 [3]. Airtel experienced three fibre cut incidents during this period, while 9Mobile and Globacom also reported significant outages. These incidents highlight the widespread nature of the issue and the need for coordinated efforts to ensure the resilience of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure. The urgency for CNI enforcement is clear, as the sector continues to face mounting challenges from both intentional sabotage and infrastructure development activities.

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[1] MTN laments 5478 fibre cuts due to road works, vandalism (https://guardian.ng/technology/telecoms/mtn-laments-5478-fibre-cuts-due-to-road-works-vandalism/)

[2] MTN records over 5400 fibre cuts in seven months (https://techcabal.com/2025/08/23/mtn-records-over-5400-fibre-cuts-in-seven-months/)

[3] MTN's 5478 fibre cuts in 2025 signal an urgency for ... (https://technext24.com/2025/08/25/mtns-5478-fibre-cuts-2025-signal-cni/)