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Federal Government Establishes Joint Committee To Safeguard Fiber Optic Cables

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Ministry of Communications

Federal Government Establishes Joint Committee To Safeguard Fiber Optic Cables

Federal government establishes joint committee to safeguard fiber optic cables. The Federal Government has set up a Joint Standing Committee on the Protection of Fiber Optic Cables to address the recurring damage to fiber networks caused by road construction and rehabilitation projects.

The committee, a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Works (FMoW) and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMoCIDE), was inaugurated on February 18 by Permanent Secretaries Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi (FMoW) and Engr. Farouk Yusuf (FMoCIDE) at the FMoW boardroom.

The event also had in attendance the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida.

Comprising representatives from both ministries and the NCC, the committee is tasked with coordinating measures to prevent fiber cable damage during road projects and reducing service disruptions caused by construction activities and vandalism.

Engr. Adebiyi stated that the committee will act as a bridge between the ministries and the NCC, ensuring fiber optic cable protection is incorporated into road planning, design, and execution.

He added that regular performance reports will be submitted, and a real-time communication system will be developed to facilitate prompt information sharing among stakeholders.

Engr. Yusuf emphasized the vital role of fiber optic cables in Nigeria’s digital economy, describing them as essential to broadband connectivity, economic development, and technological progress.

Dr. Maida highlighted the urgency of the initiative, revealing that in 2023 alone, Nigeria recorded over 50,000 fiber cuts, with approximately 30,000 linked to road construction.

He cited the February 2024 MTN network outage as a significant example of the consequences of fiber damage.

Ministry of Communications

Ministry of Communications

“A major cause of these fiber cuts is the lack of coordination between road construction firms and telecom operators.

This committee’s efforts will help minimize network disruptions, reduce repair costs, and enable telecom companies to invest more in network expansion and infrastructure upgrades,” Maida stated.

The formation of the Joint Standing Committee marks a crucial step in safeguarding Nigeria’s fiber optic infrastructure, improving collaboration between stakeholders, and ensuring uninterrupted telecommunications services.

Economy

NNPC Ltd. HSE Chief Sets Tone For Industry-Wide Safety Standards

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NNPC's Mass Sack

NNPC Ltd. HSE Chief Sets Tone For Industry-Wide Safety Standards

NNPC Ltd.’s Chief Health, Safety and Environment Officer, Tonye Alagba, has urged Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) personnel across the company to strengthen collaboration and build a unified HSE team.

Alagba, who made the call at the recent First Quarter 2026 HSE Council Meeting held in Abuja from 15th to 17th April, 2026, called for collective responsibility, strict compliance, and proactive prevention of HSE violations across all business units.

NNPC's Mass Sack

NNPC

NNPC Ltd. values strict HSE adherence across all its businesses and operations. The HSE Council Meeting signals the company’s broader intent to raise the bar for safety culture across Nigeria’s energy sector.

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Economy

NNPC, SNEPCo, NCDMB Donate Geosciences Centre To UNILAG

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SNEPCo

NNPC, SNEPCo, NCDMB Donate Geosciences Centre To UNILAG

NNPC Limited, in partnership with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), commissioned and donated the newly built UNILAG Geosciences Centre of Excellence to the University on Friday.

Purposely built to strengthen geosciences education and research in Nigeria, the Centre was inaugurated by the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services Ltd. (NUIMS), Olanrewaju Igandan, alongside the Managing Director of SNEPCo, Ronald Adams; Director of Capacity Building (NCDMB), Abayomi Bamidele; Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule; and the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola.

The Centre boasts of a 250-seat auditorium, geoscience and instrumentation laboratories, a rock preparation workshop, hydrogeology, mineralogy, environmental geology, sedimentary and palaeoenvironmental sciences laboratories, a seismic interpretation room, a modern library, a digital museum, and collaborative spaces for students and researchers. It is also supported by a 600 kVA transformer, a 40 kVA solar power facility, and a field investigation coaster bus.

SNEPCo

SNEPCo, NNPC

By connecting academia, industry, and government under one roof, the Centre provides Nigerian students and researchers with hands-on access to modern energy tools, reduces the oil and gas industry’s reliance on international markets for testing and training, and builds the in-country expertise Nigeria’s energy sector needs.

NNPC Limited remains committed to driving capacity building, supporting national development, and working with partners to secure a stronger energy future for Nigeria.

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Economy

NNPC: Ministers Chart Course Gor West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP)

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(WAGP)

NNPC: Ministers Chart Course Gor West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP)

The Committee of Ministers for the West African Gas Pipeline Project met in Abuja on Friday, reaffirming its central role in West Africa’s regional energy agenda.

The meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana, alongside officials from ECOWAS, the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) and West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo).

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, who opened the meeting, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the long-term sustainability and expansion of the pipeline, adding that since its inception, the WAGP has transported over 613 million MMBtu of natural gas, with Nigeria accounting for more than 68 per cent of total volumes supplied to Benin, Togo, and Ghana.

(WAGP)

NNPC

 

On his part, NNPC Limited’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, emphasised the company’s active stewardship of Nigeria’s gas export commitments and its broader role in shaping regional energy cooperation across West Africa.

With gas throughput reaching approximately 80 million MMBtu in 2025, a 22 per cent rise on prior years, and discussions advancing on expanding pipeline capacity utilisation by 45 per cent in 2026, NNPC Limited remains at the centre of efforts to grow a credible, commercially viable regional gas market.

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