Bukola Afeni
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised concern over the increasing cases of fibre cuts, warning that the disruptions are severely affecting telecommunication services nationwide.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made this known during a media interaction with members of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) in Abuja.
Maida who was represented by the Director of Public Affairs at the Commission, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, described telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), citing its vital importance to economic stability, national security, and public welfare.
He emphasized the urgent need to safeguard it by highlighting steps the Commission is taking to address the issue.
He said: “Between 21st and 31st May alone, we recorded almost 147 fibre cut cases. Such damage severely impacts service provision,” he noted, stressing the need for a robust protection mechanism.
“To address this, the Commission is taking several steps, including: Establishing a joint technical working group for rapid response, Collaborating with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other agencies for infrastructure protection.
“Engaging local communities for early warning and reporting of outages, Prosecuting offenders under the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Act, Conducting workshops with construction firms to educate them on telecom infrastructure safety.”
Maida revealed that key stakeholders in the protection effort include mobile network operators (MNOs), content and infrastructure service providers, cloud services, and the government, which plays a regulatory and oversight role.
Addressing consumer-related concerns, the EVC responded to inquiries on telecom rates like the ₦6.98 USSD charge.
“At NCC, we don’t just approve charges arbitrarily. We conduct cost studies to determine the actual cost of service provision before issuing any tariff determination,” he explained.
On customer participation in rate decisions, he said, “It’s a technical and detailed process that requires a level of expertise. While consumers may not be directly involved, NCC ensures their interests are protected by thoroughly reviewing all pricing proposals.”
Maida also touched on the recent struggles of telecom operators, citing forex-related challenges that previously affected service quality. However, he noted that “recent tariff adjustments have placed operators back on a path to profitability, allowing reinvestment in infrastructure.”
The EVC further reaffirmed the Commission commitment to working with stakeholders, including security agencies, to secure Nigeria’s digital future.
