Experts warn against poor fibre installation

Industry experts have warned that poor installation practices and inadequate technical skills could undermine the Federal Government’s planned deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables under Project BRIDGE, urging strict adherence to international cabling standards.

The warning was issued on Friday during a two-day Siemon Certified Installer training programme in Abuja, where stakeholders said developing a pool of certified installers would be critical to ensuring the long-term reliability of Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure.

The Federal Government recently launched Project BRIDGE (Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth), a $2bn initiative to deploy 90,000 kilometres of new fibre-optic cables nationwide.

The project is expected to expand Nigeria’s fibre backbone from about 35,000km to 125,000km, connect all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and deepen broadband penetration through an open-access national network.

The training was organised by The Siemon Company, a United States-based network infrastructure manufacturer, in collaboration with Mart Networks Group.

Speaking during the programme, Siemon’s Regional Sales Manager for West Africa, Adewale Olagbenro, said the company was contributing to the government’s broadband ambition by equipping installers with the technical skills required to deploy fibre infrastructure in line with international standards.

He noted that poor installation remained one of the leading causes of network failures and service disruptions.

“This is part of what we do. Some of the value we add for our customers is by training them, engaging them and supporting them. That’s why we organise this training at no cost to all our partners,” Olagbenro said.

He added that every installation completed by certified partners undergoes rigorous testing before approval.

“So many people don’t know the rules or standards for cabling. They just say cable, cable, just lay cable. But there are some standards that you need to follow for your network infrastructure to work to international standards,” he added.

Olagbenro also said Nigeria still lagged behind many countries in digital infrastructure development and technical expertise, stressing the need for continuous investment in capacity building.

He added that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent directive requiring regulated financial institutions to host critical data locally would create fresh opportunities for data centre development and advanced network infrastructure.

“There are a lot of opportunities that would open,” he said.

The training was facilitated by The Siemon Company’s Technical Manager for Africa, Dinesh O.P., who said many organisations still underestimate the importance of structured cabling and adherence to international installation standards.

He warned that the use of substandard products and poor installation practices could significantly reduce network performance.

Also speaking, the Country Manager of Mart Networks Group, Esther Oyedokun, said the programme was designed to equip engineers and installers with the technical competence required to deploy structured cabling systems effectively.

“The training is to get them certified and equip them on how each and every solution Siemon produces can be installed to ensure that the end user gets optimal results,” she said.

Oyedokun said participants were drawn mainly from technical teams of partner organisations, including public sector institutions such as Galaxy Backbone and private technology firms.

Chief Technology Officer of Hafol Resources Limited, Landon Eroumuona, who participated in the training, described it as an opportunity for professionals to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.