Nigeria’s fiber optic engineers have come together to drive growth and improve connectivity in the telecom industry.
The maiden Fiber Optic Engineers Meet-up was held at the Notion Technology office in Abuja and brought together professionals responsible for building, maintaining, and restoring Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure.
The gathering attracted engineers who traverse challenging terrains, mountains, and high-risk environments to ensure uninterrupted connectivity in the nation’s digital economy.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Notion Technology Ltd, Nana Oluwagbenga, said the meet-up was designed to recognize and position fiber engineers, who often work behind the scenes.
Oluwagbenga stressed that fiber engineers are indispensable to discussions on deployment, maintenance, and the sustainability of Nigeria’s underground connectivity networks.
“When fiber engineers are united, they exchange knowledge, support one another, and collectively improve service delivery. They are the backbone of connectivity. Doctors rely on the internet for telemedicine, bankers for financial transactions, businesses for operations, and homes for stable access,” she said.
Speaking at the event, Omachonu Ogah, Chief Technology Officer of MadePro and a fiber contractor in Abuja, said passion is critical to surviving the rigours of fiber engineering.
“First of all, if you do not have passion for something, do not participate in it. Fiber is one of the industries every engineer wants to be in,” he said, adding that the profession demands commitment beyond routine engineering due to physical, technical, and psychological pressures.
Ogah noted that the most challenging moments occur when critical links fail. “Resolving such failures is rarely a solo effort. You call others, they bring their experience, and together you restore the link,” he explained.
Eruayekomeme Anthony, Regional Manager for Fiber Deployment at ZTE, highlighted inadequate pre-deployment testing as a major cause of fiber failures.
“Most issues are preventable if proper Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) tests are conducted before the fiber carries live traffic,” he said, adding that insufficient testing often leads to signal loss once services go live.
Anthony emphasized the strategic importance of fiber engineers to Nigeria’s digital future. “Fiber engineers are critical. They are even more important than wireless engineers because fiber drives wideband services for users,” he said.
Olufemi Onifade also identified Right of Way (RoW) approval as a persistent barrier to fiber deployment. “Right of way is a government permit to dig and lay infrastructure. Without it, engineers risk arrest,” he said, adding that poor coordination with road construction firms and rampant vandalism further threaten services.
“Construction companies damage existing fiber during road expansion, while scavengers steal cables and closures. When this happens, internet services are disrupted, and the public often blames network operators,” Onifade explained.
Participants said the event was long overdue in an industry where collaboration among engineers typically occurs only during emergencies rather than through structured professional engagement.
Discussions at the meet-up reinforced the essential role of fiber engineers in sustaining Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
