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Lagos-Calabar highway: MTN, others may shutdown as construction threatens cables
Barely 48 hours after Multichoice alerted subscribers to a three-day technical downtime, telecommunication companies have expressed concern over possible connectivity disruptions as construction advances on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
While the DStv and GOtv owner acknowledged the anticipated impact of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar construction project on their uplink facilities, telcos on Sunday expressed broader concerns emphasising the vital role of telecommunication service and the effect of possible anticipated technical disruption.
The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway corridor serves as a crucial landing point for multiple submarine cables connecting Nigeria to Europe
The cables, including the West Africa Cable System (WACS), MainOne, Glo1, ACE, and NCSCS, are vital for international communications and data transmission in the country.
The Federal Executive Council approved Phase One of the ambitious 700-km Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project in February, entrusting the task to Hitech Construction Company Limited.
The highway project was designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through the coastal states of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, before culminating in Cross River.
Meanwhile, the demolition of numerous properties and recreational centres in Lagos has been carried out to expedite the construction of the highway.
In light of the developments, telcos stressed the necessity of stakeholder consultations with the Ministry of Works to address potential risks and implement robust mitigation measures.
While dialogue with the Federal Government is yet to happen, telcos have warned Hitech Construction to exercise caution to prevent damage to critical national infrastructure.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed that the Ministry of Works had yet to engage the telcos on environmental impact assessment.
The ALTON chairman said the Ministry of Works, headed by David Umahi, had engaged some stakeholders but excluded the telecom operators.
“The Ministry of Works has not approached us, and I’m unsure if environmental impact assessments have been conducted. The route is crucial for the landing of numerous submarine cables, so caution is essential.
“Some members have reached out to them, urging caution. As the chairman of the industry, I can affirm that ALTON members were not consulted regarding the assessment of the undersea cable within that right of way,” he explained.
Adebayo revealed that some of its members had written to the works ministry on the matter over the need for a dialogue. He however said the body had yet to get any response.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission had been engaged to facilitate talks with the ministry.
“We’ve informed the Nigeria Communications Commission about this issue, and they are attempting to contact the Ministry of Works. However, I can confirm that neither we nor any of our members were contacted. This is on record. We were not included in the stakeholder consultations, and we’re concerned about the actions being taken.”
According to Adebayo, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway corridor facilitates international traffic into the country, with so much risk involved if caution is not applied by the construction firm.
“There’s a significant risk involved, and I advise carefulness. Any destruction could lead to total disruption and severe economic consequences. Caution must be exercised to avoid damaging this critical economic infrastructure.”
In March, service disruption caused by cuts to the undersea cable supplying broadband Internet connectivity to Nigeria and countries in the West African sub-region forced many banks and other financial institutions, as well as telecom companies and allied firms, to scale down their operations.
Experts said the recent subsea cable cut, which disrupted connectivity in West Africa on March 14, 2024, could result in collective repair costs of about $8m for the four digital infrastructure companies affected.
The Chief Executive Officer of West Indian Ocean Cable Company, Chris Wood, said the four digital infrastructure companies affected could spend as much as $8m each to repair a single cable.
The affected cables include MainOne Cable, the West African Cable System, the African Coast to Europe submarine cable, and the SAT3 subsea cable systems.
Wood highlighted that each affected cable firm might need to allocate between $1m and $2m for the complete restoration of a single subsea cable, depending on the severity of the damage incurred.
The WIOCC CEO stated, “It is not a few $100,000. It is several millions of dollars, maybe $1m to $2m per cable, depending on how long it takes the ship to find the cable and repair it.
“Maybe slightly more than that. And those costs are borne by the cable owners themselves. It is a cost that we will factor into our businesses because these things do happen.
“I can’t say exact figures because it depends on the nature of the cuts and how long it takes to repair them, but when you look at the four systems together, it is several $1m.”
According to Wood, it will cost Africa $1bn to lay new cable that will connect from Europe, connecting multiple African countries, including Nigeria.
He noted that it would take at least 10 years to design the project and finish building, noting that the cost would be huge.
“So, it is not a simple thing to say, right? Let’s lay more cables because ultimately somebody has to pay that billion dollars, and eventually it is the end user. So, there has to be a commercial justification for spending that kind of money.
According to the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, the ongoing construction work is yet to get close to the areas where the undersea cables and fibre cables are located.
However, he said it was crucial to recognise that all submarine cables to Lagos are situated along that coastal line.
“I spoke with someone this week who mentioned this. Concerns will naturally arise, and ongoing interactions will address them as the risk is significant. These are sensitive issues, and measures will be taken to ensure services aren’t disrupted along that line,” he added.
A few weeks ago, ALTON and ATCON jointly issued a statement expressing worries over wilful vandalism and theft as well as other challenges affecting the growth of the sector.
They requested the protection of assets and network infrastructure and urged the federal government to pass legislation that designates telecommunications infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.
Telecommunications infrastructure undoubtedly plays a pivotal role in national security and socioeconomic growth, especially as the country currently contends with multiple security challenges that require urgent and immediate actions in response to these threats.
“Attacks on cell towers, fibre optic cables, and other critical assets disrupt telecommunications services and result in significant financial losses for operators,” telcos lamented.
The telecom sector has been grappling with economic challenges that have significantly increased their operating costs, a situation that has dwindled appetite for investments.
Investment in the sector decreased by 70.5 per cent to $134m in 2023 from $456.8m in the corresponding year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Last week, the ALTON chairman mentioned that telcos were becoming reluctant to invest more in infrastructure as they continued to contend with a tough economic environment.
Adebayo stated, “If you don’t invest in a sector, you can’t talk about quality of service; you can’t talk about right pricing. The government must help, and the time is now.”
He drew a comparison with the energy sector, where a lack of investment in infrastructure had led to decrepit substations and outdated transformers, some of which are 25–30 years old.
“When the people in the energy sector came, they licenced the DisCos; they sold them those companies and all of that, and everybody thought that would solve the problem. The answer is ‘no’ because when the DisCos came, they didn’t invest in infrastructure.
“We don’t want to come to a time where the telecom sector becomes like that. We need to continue to put the right policies and regulations in place to attract investment. It is only when we attract investment that we can demand a minimum level of performance,” he emphasised.
Multichoice subscribers demand compensation.
Customers of DStv and GOtv have voiced their discontent and called for compensation from Multichoice, the pay-TV operator, following a scheduled three-day “technical downtime” from May 5th to 7th, 2024.
The pay-TV operator, Multichoice, stated on Friday on X (formerly Twitter) that the Lagos-Calabar highway construction project would force them to relocate from their office location between May 5 and May 7, 2024, assuring customers that disruptions would be minimised during the relocation.
It stated, “Our uplink facility will be impacted by the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal road construction project. As a result, we are forced to relocate. From Sunday, May 5, 2024, to Thursday, May 7, 2024, our technical team will be working tirelessly to relocate and minimise disruptions during the exercise.”
It added, “We’re relocating our uplink facility due to the Lagos-Calabar coastal road construction. This means you might experience some technical downtime. Thank you for bearing with us during this transition.’’
The company assured that it would soon restore its services better than ever.
However, despite the proactive statement, some customers took to social media to express concerns and demand compensation from the operator.
Adeoye Oluwafemi stated, “I hope the three days offline will be added back to our subscription. There should be no cheating this time around.’
Stemeldamak said, ‘I hope you people will deduct the money for this technical downtime from the payment already made.
Victor inquired, “How will you people compensate for the loss during this period of interruption? This is because you’ve never left one day for a subscriber after the subscription elapses.’
Obajimiolaleka commented, “This ought to be done during the week, knowing fully well that weekends are full of activities such as football matches.”
Chukas Dandy noted, “I guess people’s subscriptions will still be running during this period of your relocation, even though your uplink will be off signal, or is there any plan of pausing the subscription until the uplink is restored.”
“If You Have Evidence Against Stanley Mbam, Charge Him; Otherwise, Release Him” — Oganiru Izzi
A socio-cultural organisation of Izzi extraction, Oganiru Izzi, has challenged Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, to either release the state’s sacked Commissioner for Works, Mr Stanley Mbam, or charge him before a competent court if the government has credible evidence of wrongdoing against him.
The group said the continued detention of the former commissioner without a formal charge raises concerns about due process, constitutional rights and the rule of law.
The leader of Oganiru Izzi, Mr Godwin Mbam, made the demand while speaking with correspondents of National Issue Newspapers at the Crack Department of the Ebonyi State Police Command in Abakaliki.
Mbam condemned what he described as the prolonged detention of Stanley Mbam without allowing a court to determine whether he had committed any offence.
He challenged the state government to produce evidence if it believes the former commissioner committed a criminal offence.
“If there is credible evidence against him, charge him to court and let the court decide. If there is no case against him, he should be released,” Mbam said.
He also appealed to the Ebonyi State Police Command to uphold the Constitution and resist any pressure that could result in unlawful detention.
Vanco Flyover: “We Will Reveal the Full Details”
Mbam also issued a three-day challenge to Governor Nwifuru, declaring that if the former commissioner was not released or charged to court, his organisation would make public what it described as the “full details” of the Vanco Flyover project.
According to him, the proposed disclosure would address issues surrounding the project, including its funding, payments, contractual arrangements and other financial details.
“We will let the world know the full details of the Vanco Flyover and how the funds were utilised,” he warned.
He further challenged the state government to demonstrate transparency by making relevant documents concerning the project available to the public.
“What About the Alleged ₦1.5 Billion Forfeiture?”
The Izzi group also questioned what it described as the selective application of the state government’s anti-corruption campaign.
Mbam referred to allegations involving an account reportedly frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and an alleged ₦1.5 billion forfeiture to the Federal Government.
He questioned why, according to him, the governor had allegedly not taken similar action if the facts surrounding the matter warranted it.
Mbam stressed that he was not opposed to the fight against corruption but insisted that any anti-corruption campaign must be comprehensive, transparent and applied equally.
“If Governor Nwifuru wants to fight corruption, let him fight it holistically. Nobody should be targeted while other serious allegations are ignored,” he said.
“If Nwifuru Says He Knows Nothing, We Will Produce the Facts”
Mbam further challenged Governor Nwifuru to publicly state whether he was aware of alleged corruption issues within the Ministry of Works.
“If Nwifuru publicly claims that he is unaware of corruption in the Works Ministry, I will make public the facts available to me. The facts will shock the state,” he declared.
He insisted that the matter should not degenerate into a political vendetta, arguing that the appropriate place to determine criminal liability is a court of law.
According to him, the people of Ebonyi State deserve clear answers concerning the Vanco Flyover and other issues involving public funds.
“Everybody Should Be Subject to the Law”
The Oganiru Izzi leader maintained that the controversy should be resolved through transparency, documentary evidence and due process.
“If there is a case, charge him. If there is no case, release him. The government cannot claim to be fighting corruption while abandoning the principles of justice and the rule of law,” he said.
Mbam warned that failure to address the issues could compel the organisation to make further disclosures concerning the Vanco Flyover and other matters it considers to be in the public interest.
By Our Correspondent
As Nigeria celebrates its 66th Independence Anniversary, the candidate for the House of Representatives seat representing the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, Hon. Chief Kevin Tobias Chukwu, has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful and committed to building a better country.
Chukwu, also known as Ochiri Ozua 1 of Amagu Ikwo, made the call in an Independence Day message to Nigerians, particularly the people of Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency and Ebonyi State.
He described the anniversary as not only a moment for celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the state of the nation and the responsibilities of leaders in building a Nigeria that meets the aspirations of its citizens.
According to him, Nigeria’s journey since independence has been marked by significant challenges, with millions of citizens currently facing economic hardship, while young people continue to search for opportunities and many communities contend with insecurity and uncertainty.
Despite these challenges, the Ebonyi politician said the resilience of Nigerians remained a source of hope for the country’s future.
“I believe in the resilience of our people. I believe in the ingenuity of our youths, the strength of our women, the wisdom of our elders and the determination of ordinary Nigerians who wake up every morning and refuse to give up on this country,” he said.
Chukwu, however, stressed that hope must be matched by responsible leadership, arguing that public office should be viewed as a responsibility rather than a privilege.
He called for leadership that prioritises the protection of lives, creation of economic opportunities, provision of infrastructure, strengthening of institutions and responsible management of national resources.
The candidate also emphasised the need to create an environment where young Nigerians can pursue successful lives within the country and where hard work, merit and enterprise are rewarded.
He said Nigeria had “come too far to surrender to hopelessness,” urging citizens and leaders alike to remain committed to the country’s progress.
“A better Nigeria is still possible, but it will require responsible leadership, accountable institutions and citizens who refuse to give up on their country,” he said.
Chukwu concluded by expressing optimism about Nigeria’s future, declaring: “Nigeria will rise. Nigeria must rise. And together, we must build the Nigeria we deserve.”
He also paid tribute to the nation’s past heroes, praying that their sacrifices would continue to inspire the country.
“May the labour of our heroes past never be in vain,” he said, as he wished Nigerians a happy 66th Independence Anniversary.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
As Nigeria celebrates its 66th anniversary of independence from colonial rule, democracy in the country has continued to evolve and deepen, the Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, has said.
Anosike made the observation in a message to mark Nigeria’s Independence anniversary, noting that despite the challenges the country had encountered since 1960, its democratic system had continued to improve under successive administrations.
According to him, since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed relatively smooth transitions from one administration to another, while citizens have continued to exercise their fundamental rights to hold governments accountable for their performance.
“Before the return of the democratic process, it was indeed difficult and near taboo to challenge the leadership of the country, and those who may have attempted it in the past faced grave consequences.
“Similarly, we have had smooth transitions from one dispensation to another, producing five presidents through the ballot and not through the barrel of the gun. These elected presidents were produced by different political parties.”
Anosike said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had sustained the country’s democratic principles and created an avenue for Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, race or religion, to express their views on government policies and programmes.
“Under the stewardship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerians have been enjoying the freedom to express themselves over issues, policies and programmes of government, and those expressions have been shaping and guiding the administration of Mr President,” he said.
The APC chairman said Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary provided an opportunity for citizens to reflect on the country’s journey as a nation and the progress made since independence.
He said President Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast had offered another opportunity for Nigerians to renew their hope for a greater and more prosperous country.
Anosike also commended what he described as the “enormous infrastructural development” taking place across the country under the Tinubu administration.
He urged Nigerians to continue to support and have faith in the administration as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
An Elder Statesman, Chief Hycienth Ngwu, has called on political leaders and policies formulators to ensure governmental policies and programmes directly touch lives of the people and reduce hardship in the country.
Ngwu, who is a prominent community leader in Enugu, urged Nigerians to maintain peace within neighbourhoods and communities, as no meaningful development can take place without peace.
The statesman made the call on Thursday in Enugu while reacting to the developmental efforts of Nigeria at its 66th Independence.
He said that previous and present administrations had put in place policies and programmes to reset the socioeconomic fabric of the nation.
Ngwu said that while the removal of fuel subsidy, and unification of the foreign exchange had good intentions, their impact is yet to reflect on the lives and livelihoods of vast majority of Nigerians.
He urged leaders to ensure that public resources were properly managed while citizens remained patient with reforms aimed at improving the socioeconomic status of the country.
The elder statesman noted that at 66th independence, the country was still struggling on keeping its peace and co-existence as a country; adding that the founding leaders of Nigeria envisaged a closely united, bonded and peaceful country.
He called for return to policies that promote local production, indigenous industries and entrepreneurship, arguing that excessive dependence on imports had continued to weaken the country’s productive capacity.
According to him, we are yet to achieve economic independence even as we needed to do more on non oil revenue earns as the greater part of the world is moving towards greener and clean energy.
“Greater emphasis should be on skills acquisition, creativity and entrepreneurship education system, as academic qualifications without practical skills could leave graduates dependent on scarce white collar jobs.
“We ought to be economically productive nation capable of producing and exporting goods while developing its human capital,” he said.
Ngwu noted that current insecurity and social instability could be partly attributed to poverty and ignorance, while calling for greater honesty and trust between leaders and citizens.
“Corruption, tribalism and selfishness must be addressed if Nigeria is to achieve peace and lasting progress,” he added.
He also called for the scrapping of state electoral commissions as they have not helped in deepening democracy at that level. The National Election body should take over that responsibility.
As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Day, Macmaduson Concepts Limited, a leading provider of HVACR,industrial parts, sensors, electrical and plumbing materials, has extended warm Independence Day greetings to its customers, clients and business partners across the country.
In a goodwill message to mark the occasion, the company expressed appreciation to its valued customers for their continuous support, trust and partnership over the years.
Macmaduson Concepts Limited, which specialises in HVACR,Industrial Materials, sensors, air-conditioners, refrigerators, cold rooms, chillers, refrigerants, electrical materials and plumbing materials, said the occasion provides an opportunity to celebrate Nigeria and reflect on the nation’s journey.
The company wished Nigeria continued growth, unity, peace and prosperity, while expressing hope for a brighter future for all Nigerians.
The message from the company reads in part:
At Macmaduson Concepts Limited, we celebrate our great nation, Nigeria, and appreciate our valued clients for their continuous support, trust and partnership. May Nigeria continue to grow in unity, peace and prosperity.”
The company concluded its Independence Day message with the theme: “One Nation, One People, A Brighter Tomorrow.”
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!
Happy 66th Independence Anniversary from Macmaduson Concepts Limited.
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