The Federal Ministry of Works (FMoW) and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMoCIDE) have established a Joint Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables to address the persistent issue of fibre optic cuts and damages caused by road construction and rehabilitation activities.
These disruptions have had a significant negative impact on telecommunications services across Nigeria.
The Joint Standing Committee on Protection of Fiber Optic Cables was inaugurated at the Boardroom of the FMoW, by the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, and his counterpart at the FMoCIDE, Engr Farouk Yusuf, with the attendance of the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida.
The main assignment of the joint Standing Committee is to establish and maintain clear communication/co-ordination channels between the two ministries and the NCC in order to limit and prevent damage to Telecommunications Fiber Optic cables during road constructions or rehabilitation activities.
Engr. Adebiyi, while inaugurating the Committee, directed it to establish modalities to ensure the reduction of damage to deployed fiber optic cables resulting from road construction and maintenance activities, as well as vandalism which has caused severe incidences of service disruption across the country.
He said the Committee will serve as a coordinating body for all issues pertaining to the protection of fiber optic cables, before, during and after the completion of road constructions or maintenance activities, and will meet on a regular basis to discuss identified problems, agree on industry-wide solutions, set standard engagement processes and procedures, as well as share monthly performance reports.
The EVC/CEO of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, emphasized the significance of the Committee’s mandate, noting that it has the potential to significantly reduce service disruptions across Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
The industry is forced to invest in costly redundancy measures, but if we can prevent these avoidable disruptions, operators can redirect resources towards network expansion and infrastructure improvement,” Dr. Maida stated.
