Digital Economy: Excitement as Nigeria hosts 1st International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit + Photos

*Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Cable Submarine Resilience, also signs a Summit Declaration as a framework on global collaboration for ensuring submarine cable networks are protected, with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, in Abuja

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

The Federal Government of Nigeria has inked a framework for the protection of optic fiber cables with the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience, in Abuja, FCT.

ConsumerConnect reports Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed this development Wednesday, February 26, 2025, in a message via his verified social media account.

Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Cable Submarine Resilience (l) and Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of ITU, at a meeting, in Abuja

Dr. Tijani said: “Today (Wednesday), I welcomed members of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience to Abuja, where we discussed issues around enhancing international collaboration on ensuring the resilience of subsea cables globally.

The Minister, who is the Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Cable Submarine Resilience, also noted that he signed a framework for ensuring that submarine cable networks are protected with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Dr. Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC

He stated: “At the meeting, as Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Cable Submarine Resilience, I signed the Summit Declaration alongside Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which serves as a framework for ensuring that submarine cable networks are protected.”

Also commenting on his personal experience at the grand opening of the global summit on protection od submarine cables, Tijani averred: “I’m super proud of what the team has been able to pull off today as we kicked off the first International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit by International Telecommunication Union, in Abuja.

“I look forward to an even more exciting time … as we continue deliberations on the protection of the critical global infrastructure.”

Nigeria and ongoing efforts at protecting fiber optic cables

The Federal Ministry of Works (FMoW) and Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), recently established a Joint Standing Committee on the Protection of Fiber Optic Cables to address the persistent issue of fiber optic cuts and damage caused by road construction and rehabilitation activities.

It is also noted that disruptions from such fiber cuts and resultant damage have had a significant negative impact on telecoms services across Nigeria.

The Joint Standing Committee on Protection of Fiber Optic Cables was inaugurated Tuesday, February 18, in the Boardroom of the FMoW, by the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, and his counterpart in the FMCIDE, Engr. Farouk Yusuf, with the attendance of Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Dr. Tijani (2nd right) with members of the International Advisory Body for Cable Submarine Resilience, in Abuja

Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC in a statement, said the Joint Committee is comprised of key staff from the two Federal Government Ministries and the NCC.

Muoka disclosed 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.

On Joint Standing Committee’s terms of reference

The telecoms sector regulatory Commission said 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 service disruptions in the digital ecosystem in Nigeria.

He also noted the Committee would 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 would 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 Permanent Secretary of FMoW further stated: “They are also expected to develop an instant communication mechanism to facilitate prompt communication and dissemination of information among all stakeholders.”

The statement disclosed Adebiyi as well assured that going forward, the Federal Ministry of Works would ensure that the placement of fiber cables would be considered in the planning, design and construction of the country’s road networks, and would include providing for ducts during constructions.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the committee will work closely with all Federal Controllers of Works (FCW) to give attention to the task of protecting this sensitive infrastructure during the planning and implementation stages of projects across the roads in the country, while aligning with the telecom operators on all ongoing and future projects.

Maida: Fiber networks are foundation of Nigeria’s Broadband ecosystem

In his contribution at the launch of the Joint Standing Committee, Dr. Maida, EVC/CEO of NCC, highlighted the significance of the Committee’s mandate.

Maida affirmed the mandate has the potential to significantly reduce service disruptions across Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

The NCC Chief stated: “This is a pivotal moment for the telecommunication industry and its customers.

“Fiber networks are the foundation of Nigeria’s Broadband ecosystem, providing the essential high-capacity backhaul required to deliver ultra-fast 4G and 5G speeds, as these next-generation mobile technologies rely on fiber infrastructure to ensure low latency, high reliability, and seamless data transmission.”

He also said: “Last year, we experienced over 50,000 fiber cuts incidents across the country of which around 30,000 were attributed to Federal and State Road construction activities.

“In the extreme, some of these incidents had led to major network outages like the February 2024 nationwide MTN network outage.”

The EVC/CEO noted: “A key contributor to the increasing number of fiber cuts attributed to road construction activities is the lack of an efficient handshake mechanism between road construction companies and operators of the fiber infrastructure.

“I am optimistic that the work of this Committee will lead to a significant reduction in fiber cuts attributed to road construction which would then reduce network outages, avoid unnecessary expenditure on repair works and reduce the need to put redundant routes in place to serve as alternatives whenever there are outages due to fiber cuts.”

Dr. Maida further said: “This initiative is not just for the benefit of the telecommunications industry but for all Nigerians.

“Every time a fiber cut occurs, consumers experience service disruptions.

“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.”

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