MTN Nigeria has announced that subscribers in three states will experience temporary service disruption on Saturday due to ongoing fibre cut incidents affecting the nation’s telecom infrastructure.
MTN Service Disruption Linked to Fibre Cuts
The service disruption highlights the growing menace of fibre cuts in Nigeria, which have become a recurring challenge for telecom operators. These incidents cost operators billions of Naira annually in repairs and directly impact millions of subscribers.
To address the crisis, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has adopted a multi-pronged strategy involving:
- Technical enforcement.
- Public sensitisation.
- Collaboration with national security agencies.
Telecom Infrastructure Declared National Security Asset
Telecom infrastructure was officially designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) by President Bola Tinubu, under Section 3 of the Cybersecurity Act.
This designation places a national security responsibility on:
- Operators.
- Service providers.
- Civil society.
- Citizens.
The aim is to protect telecom facilities from vandalism, negligence, and poor stakeholder coordination.
Airtel Raises Alarm Over Fibre Cuts
Just recently, Femi Adeniran, Director of Corporate Communications and CSR at Airtel Nigeria, called for urgent action to protect telecom infrastructure. He revealed alarming figures:
- Airtel records an average of 43 fibre cuts daily.
- In the last six months alone, Airtel suffered 7,742 fibre cut incidents.
Adeniran emphasized that fibre cuts are mainly caused by construction activities, vandalism, and lack of stakeholder coordination, which have now reached epidemic levels.
Impact of Fibre Cuts on Nigerians
These interruptions have wide-ranging consequences, including:
- Inconveniencing millions of subscribers.
- Disrupting businesses and government operations.
- Compromising public safety—particularly during emergencies.
Operators across Nigeria continue to report multiple daily fibre cut incidents, further stressing the need for stronger policies and enforcement.
Protecting Nigeria’s Digital Future
As MTN Nigeria and other telecom operators grapple with persistent fibre cuts, the NCC is working closely with stakeholders to ensure better infrastructure protection and minimise disruptions.
The Saturday service disruption serves as a wake-up call for urgent national collaboration to safeguard telecom facilities that form the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Key Takeaways
- MTN subscribers in three states to face service disruption on Saturday.
- Fibre cuts cost telecom operators billions of Naira annually.
- Airtel reports 43 daily fibre cuts and 7,742 in six months.
- NCC and national security agencies are now involved in protecting telecom infrastructure.
- Telecom facilities are designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
