Despite ongoing demolitions of properties and recreational centres in Lagos to expedite the construction of the highway, telecom operators have stated they had not been consulted on potential risks or mitigation measures.

The lack of dialogue with the government has prompted telcos to caution Hitech Construction, the firm handling the project, to exercise vigilance to prevent damage to critical national infrastructure along the coastal lines.

Punch report quoted the Gbenga Adebayo, the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, saying,

“There hasn’t been any damage done or any incident, and we haven’t been consulted as well. I think the message is clear: caution has to be taken while working in that quadrant. So, so far, no notice and no consultation.”

The coastal corridor of the Lagos-Calabar highway plays a pivotal role as a landing site for several submarine cables linking Nigeria to Europe.

These cables, such as the West Africa Cable System, MainOne, Glo1, ACE, and NCSCS, are essential for facilitating international communications and data transmission within the country.

Also commenting, Tony Emoekpere, the president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria said that while there was no official invitation, there was a publication indicating the government’s invitation for stakeholder consultations.

However, he stressed the importance of proactive engagement to address potential risks and ensure the protection of vital infrastructure.

“I got the information that the coastal highway may not really impact or disrupt some areas. However, I have seen a publication indicating that the Federal Government invited stakeholders for consultation,” he said.

He allayed fears that some areas along the coastal corridors may not be impacted by the highway construction.

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The outage affected banks and telecommunications organizations that depend on the impacted cables for internet services.

Major undersea cables close to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, were reportedly damaged, and this caused internet outages in West and South African nations.

The West Africa Cable System (WACS), the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT3 are the undersea cables that were impacted hence the disruption of services.

However, Glo1, which is owned by Globacom, was unaffected by the damage and has continually been running.

Industry observers are of the view that Glo1 International Submarine Cable’s resilient construction and durability are the reasons the damage did not compromise the cable.

Glo1 -powered financial institutions, internet service providers, and data consumers have been carrying on with business as usual and have continued to provide service to their customers.

This development has been commended by a cross section of Nigerians, hailing the company for its commitment to delivering efficient services to millions of its subscribers.