FG Ready To criminalize Fiber Cable Damage - Report

FG has disclosed its plans to criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables in response to ongoing grievances from major telecommunications companies like MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.

According to a Bloomberg report on Thursday, sources familiar with the situation report that the Works Ministry, responsible for overseeing federal road constructors, is in the final stages of drafting regulations.

These regulations are expected to be signed into law as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu.

A senior presidential aide, Temitope Ajayi, said “Telecom assets are a critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” adding that the Association of Telecommunications Companies has been demanding the classification for years.

“New rules will provide further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”

Also, the Nigerian Communications Commission stated that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5 per cent in the third quarter of last year.

In the documents seen by Bloomberg, the repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost N27bn ($23m) last year alone, MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.

According to the head of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, a presidential order on the matter would be welcomed.

He said, “When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order."

"It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment," he added.