NCC, NSCDC Caution Construction Firms, Others Over Rising Fibre Optic Cable Damage

<h4>NCC&comma; NSCDC Caution Construction Firms&comma; Others Over Rising Fibre Optic Cable Damage<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a> <&sol;strong>reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission &lpar;NCC&rpar; and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps &lpar;NSCDC&rpar; have warned against fibre-optic cable damage during road construction and related civil works across the country as the rising incidents of avoidable fibre cuts resulting from negligence will no longer be excused&comma; noting that offenders risk prosecution as the act constitutes a crime&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>NCC and NSCDC stressed that fibre optic cables are critical national assets that power Nigeria&&num;8217&semi;s digital economy&comma; enable seamless communication&comma; support emergency services&comma; connect businesses&comma; and facilitate government operations&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They said their destruction&comma; whether through negligence&comma; lack of coordination&comma; or wilful actions&comma; poses a direct threat to national security&comma; economic stability&comma; and public safety&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>According to the organisations&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Under the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure &lpar;CNII&rpar; Order 2024&comma; telecommunication fibre infrastructure is classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Consequently&comma; any damage resulting from unauthorized digging&comma; construction activities&comma; or failure to collaborate with relevant authorities to prevent damage during construction constitutes a criminal offence&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They warned that individuals&comma; construction companies&comma; or government contractors who damage fibre optic infrastructure would be made to face prosecution and applicable sanctions as provided under existing laws&comma; including the Cybercrimes &lpar;Prohibition&comma; Prevention&comma; etc&period;&rpar; Act 2015&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The NCC and NSCDC therefore issue a categorical warning that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;future damage to fibre optic infrastructure caused by excavation&comma; road construction&comma; or any civil engineering activity conducted without due consultation or collaboration with network operators and relevant regulators will attract strict legal consequences&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They called on federal&comma; state and local government agencies&semi; road construction companies&semi; utility service providers&semi; and private developers to ensure full compliance by conducting pre‑construction verification of fibre routes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They also urged them to collaborate with the NCC&comma; telecom operators and NSCDC before and during construction&semi; adhering to approved guidelines for excavation and right‑of‑way management&semi; and reporting any accidental damage immediately to enable rapid response and mitigation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The public is encouraged to report any act of fibre-optic infrastructure sabotage or damage to the nearest NSCDC Office or email to protect&commat;ncc&period;gov&period;ng&comma; cipu&commat;nscdc&period;gov&period;ng or call 622 toll-free&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;