MTN Records Over 9,000 Fibre Cuts in 2025, Disrupting Telecom Services Nationwide

MTN Nigeria has disclosed that its network infrastructure suffered 9,218 fibre optic cable cuts in 2025, a development that significantly disrupted telecommunications services across the country.

The disclosure was made by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Olutokun Toriola, who described the situation as a major challenge to service reliability and the quality of connectivity experienced by millions of subscribers.

According to Toriola, the fibre cuts were largely caused by road construction activities, vandalism, and accidental damage by contractors working on public and private projects. He noted that each incident often results in service outages, slow internet speeds, and dropped calls, especially in densely populated urban centres.

The MTN CEO explained that the company spends billions of naira annually repairing damaged fibre infrastructure and deploying emergency response teams to restore services as quickly as possible. Despite these efforts, repeated cuts continue to strain resources and affect customer experience.

Toriola called for stronger collaboration between telecommunications operators, government agencies, and construction firms to protect critical national infrastructure. He stressed that fibre optic cables are essential to Nigeria’s digital economy, supporting banking, education, healthcare, and security services.

He also urged authorities to enforce stricter regulations and penalties against vandalism, while promoting better coordination before road and utility projects are carried out to prevent avoidable damage.

MTN reiterated its commitment to investing in network expansion and resilience but warned that without improved protection of fibre assets, service disruptions may persist. The company added that safeguarding telecommunications infrastructure is crucial to achieving Nigeria’s broadband and digital transformation goals.