MTN Nigeria Reports Over 9,000 Fibre Cuts in 2025
Leading telecommunications operator MTN Nigeria has disclosed that it recorded 9,218 fibre cut incidents in 2025, significantly disrupting network performance and internet service delivery across the country.
The disclosure was made on Wednesday by the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Karl Toriola, in a social media post titled “MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped.”
A Year-in-Review Focused on Customer Experience
According to Toriola, the 2025 review was not intended as a celebration of milestones but as an honest assessment of customer experience, network challenges, achievements, and areas requiring improvement.
Like other telecom operators in Nigeria, MTN faced persistent operational challenges that affected voice and data services. The 9,218 fibre cuts recorded between January 1 and December 31, 2025 highlight the scale of disruptions experienced by subscribers during the year.
MTN Tops Network Outages in December 2025
The data aligns with a recent industry report showing that Nigerian telecom operators experienced 118 network outage incidents in December 2025, with MTN Nigeria accounting for 64 of those disruptions.
Findings from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Uptime portal indicate that fibre cuts, power failures, bushfires, and vandalism of telecom infrastructure were major contributors to the outages.
Vandalism and Theft Persist Despite CNII Status
Despite telecom infrastructure, including towers, fibre lines, base stations, and data centres, being designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), operators continue to face frequent attacks.
In the review, Toriola revealed that 211 MTN telecom sites were affected by theft and vandalism between January 1 and November 30, 2025. He attributed the incidents largely to vandals, thieves, and, in some cases, uncooperative host communities.
“Some of those gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism,” Toriola said. “Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us.”
Over 1.6 Million Customer Complaints Recorded
The widespread disruptions led to 1,624,263 customer complaints during the year, received through calls, social media, emails, and walk-in service centres.
While acknowledging the scale of dissatisfaction, Toriola stated that all complaints were resolved, noting that the company takes responsibility for both the feedback received and its response to customer concerns.
“We are not where we want to be yet, but our commitment to putting the customer at the centre of everything we do remains constant,” he added.
Strong Financial Rebound and Dividend Return
Despite the operational setbacks, MTN Nigeria posted a strong financial turnaround in 2025, returning to positive retained earnings of ₦142.7 billion and shareholders’ equity of ₦293.1 billion, reversing previously negative positions.
Following the improved performance, the company’s Board approved an interim dividend of ₦5.00 per share, marking a significant vote of confidence to investors after years of suspended dividend payouts.
From Losses to Profits in One Year
The results underscore MTN Nigeria’s ability to pivot from deep losses to solid profitability within a year, driven by data revenue growth, cost optimisation, and favourable macroeconomic conditions.
While network resilience remains a major challenge, the company says it will continue investing in infrastructure protection and service quality to improve customer experience going forward.
