News
Operators Cry as Vandals Cut Fibres, Services
Telecommunications companies in Nigeria spend some $90 million annually in repairs of fibre network cut by activities of government contractors building roads and vandals, the much needed money which would have gone into network expansions and provision of quality services, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now report.
Fiber optic cables are major building blocks in the telecommunication infrastructure because of their high bandwidth capabilities.
But the damage being done to the telecommunications infrastructure is hampering efforts to provide robust ICT services.
Operators also warn that if urgent measures are not taken by government and other regulatory authorities, about $25 billion investments recorded in the sector so far will be seriously affected.
As it is today, Nigeria still lacks major infrastructure and cannot afford preventable damages of its facilities as a result of government neglect and security lapses.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that damages to fibre network especially vandalism, theft; fibre cuts; and road damages are widespread and affect all the operators.
MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Multi-Links Limited, 21st Century Technologies, Glo, Etisalat and other companies with cable infrastructure have also reported extensive damages to their facilities.
Repeated and multiple cuts to fibre network disrupts services and defeats redundancy and self healing architecture of fibre ring.
Fibre optic network infrastructure is the transmission backbone required to transport bandwidth from undersea cable from Lagos where it berths to other parts of the country.
None availability of this infrastructure has been attributed to why cost of bandwidth is high as few that are available are faced by the challenge of consistent cuts.
In March this year Airtel experienced network outage which was caused by a fibre-cut at their Earth Station at Saka Tinubu, Victoria Island, Lagos, which affected one of their main switches.
Airtel said it discovered that the network infrastructure was vandalised by road construction workers.
MTN Nigeria which has over 8,000km of fibre optic transmission line across the country report frequent damages to its network.
Funmi Omogbenigun, general manager, Corporate Communications, MTN Nigeria, said that MTN suffers more than 70 fibre cuts on monthly basis due to road work and criminal activity.
She explained that statistics have shown that 42 per cent of the cuts were as a result of road construction in spite of the fact that we have the necessary permits from government to place our fibre in specific areas, 25 per cent due to outright vandalism and 33 per cent was as a result of other causes many of which point to acts of sabotage.
“We also suffer widespread loss of diesel and equipment across the country as a result of theft, vandalization and insecurity. It is extremely difficult to quantify the quantum of losses in terms of the cost of repairing/ replacing stolen or damaged equipment on a regular basis, downtime on the network, poor customer perception and the attendant erosion on our reputation. Suffice to say, that the cumulative cost and the impact on customer’s experience on our network, is sufficient to cause the company a great deal of concern,” she added.
Elsewhere, 21st Century Technologies Limited (21CTL), a communications and technology services provider with one of the most extensive fibre optic network in the Lagos metropolis has also cried out.
Wale Ajesibutu, executive vice chairman of the company said that cuts to its fibre network infrastructure have become regular occurrences with his company spending over $5 million yearly on the repair of such cuts a cost that is borne only by the company.
The operators warned of dire consequences if the damages are unchecked especially now that the country has not attained enough to support ICT growth.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
Fact-Check: Elon Musk’s “Tesla Pi Phone” is Internet Rumor
Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy
NDPC Directs DCPMIs to Register with Agency or Face Legal Consequences
Malpass, Ex World Bank Chief Raises Alarm over Nigeria’s Secretive Debt Structures
How and Why Apps Deplete Data – ALTON
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
From Scarcity to Scale: What Africa Can Learn from India’s Agricultural Transformation
BON Establishes Six Ad Hoc Committees to Modernize Broadcasting
News2 days agoSee Verified 20 Countries Nigerian Passport Holders Can Travel Visa-Free
E-Business2 days agoReport Says Cybercriminals Deploy Malware to Hijack Crypto Wallets, Monitor Browsers Telegram
Telecom2 days agoNCC, REA Partner to Cut Telecom Costs with Renewable Energy
Telecom2 days agoSubscribers, Telcos Warn FCCPC over Airtime Lending Enforcement
E-Business2 days agoNPC Opens 131 Births, Deaths Registration Centres in Anambra
General News2 days agoAfDB, Nigeria Urge African Control of Mineral Resources
General News2 days agoLagos Chamber Opposes 21 Percent Pension Contribution, Warns of Job Losses
News1 day agoHistory as Lagos Becomes First Nigerian State to Launch Greenhouse Gas Registry