Nigerian Telecoms Suffered 118 Network Outages in December 2025
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry recorded 118 cases of network outages in December 2025, according to data published on the Uptime Portal of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The outages were caused by a mix of fibre optic cuts, power failures at tower sites, bush burning, vandalism, and equipment faults, highlighting persistent infrastructure challenges across the sector.
Major Operators Affected Nationwide
Several mobile network operators and internet service providers were impacted during the month. Affected operators included:
- MTN Nigeria
- Airtel Nigeria
- Globacom
- T2Mobile
- Spectranet
- FibreOne
- Layer3
- Tizeti
MTN Recorded the Highest Number of Outages
A breakdown of the data shows that MTN Nigeria experienced the highest number of disruptions, with 64 outage incidents recorded nationwide in December 2025.
Other operators recorded the following:
- T2Mobile (formerly 9mobile): 18 outage cases
- Spectranet: 15 outage incidents
The remaining outages were spread across other mobile and broadband operators.
Power Failures and Fibre Cuts Lead Causes
Industry data from the NCC shows that power outages at telecom tower sites were the leading cause of service disruption, accounting for 59 cases in December 2025.
These were largely linked to:
- Disruptions in diesel supply
- Unreliable public electricity
- Backup system and transmission equipment failures
Fibre optic cable cuts followed closely, contributing 48 outage cases during the month.
Other causes recorded include:
- Bush burning: 5 cases
- Vandalism: 1 case
- Equipment failure: 1 case
- Other causes: 4 cases
Fibre Cuts and Infrastructure Vandalism on the Rise
The December data comes amid a broader trend of escalating damage to telecom infrastructure nationwide.
In October, the NCC disclosed that Nigeria recorded 19,384 fibre optic cable cuts between January and August 2025. During the same period, the industry also suffered:
- 3,241 cases of equipment theft
- Over 19,000 cases of access denial to telecom sites, resulting in prolonged service disruptions
Separate NCC data released in August showed:
- More than 1,100 fibre cuts
- 545 access denial incidents
- Nearly 100 equipment theft cases
Economic and Social Impact of Network Disruptions
Vandalisation and repeated damage to telecom infrastructure have resulted in significant financial losses for operators and frequent disruptions to internet and voice services nationwide.
These outages directly affect essential services relied upon by Nigerians, including:
- Banking and digital payments
- Healthcare delivery
- Education and online learning
- Security and emergency communications
Telecom Infrastructure Classified as Critical National Asset
Telecom infrastructure, such as towers, fibre networks, base stations, and data centres, has been designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
Despite this classification, the NCC says these assets continue to face attacks from vandals, thieves, and resistance from some host communities.
NCC Uptime Portal Promotes Transparency
According to the NCC, data published on the Uptime Portal is based on reported network outages submitted by telecom operators.
The platform, launched in May 2025, mandates operators to log all major service disruptions. It is publicly accessible via the NCC’s official website and is designed to improve transparency and help identify entities responsible for damaging telecom infrastructure.
New Rules on Outage Notifications to Consumers
As part of compliance directives, the NCC now requires telecom operators to:
- Inform consumers of major service outages
- Disclose the cause of the disruption and affected areas
- Provide estimated restoration timelines
Operators must also notify subscribers at least one week in advance of any planned service maintenance or upgrades.
The NCC says the measures are part of broader efforts to strengthen national security, support economic stability, and protect the daily lives of Nigerians by ensuring more reliable telecom services nationwide.
