In Nigeria, major disruptions in telecommunications networks became more frequent in May 2025, causing widespread problems for millions of users.
The main reasons behind these interruptions were fibre cable cuts, power failures, and system breakdowns.
Data collected by Uptime, a platform that monitors network performance, showed that 9mobile and MTN Nigeria experienced the highest number of outages, raising concerns about the state of telecom services in the country.
From the start of the year until May 19, 9mobile faced 31 network failures in several regions, while MTN Nigeria reported 25 similar incidents.
Most of these problems—around 70%—were due to fibre cables being cut, either during road construction or because of vandalism.
The interruptions affected important services like voice calls, text messaging, mobile internet, and USSD codes, leaving many subscribers unable to connect for hours at a time.
Other major network providers like Globacom and Airtel also faced outages, with 20 and 13 incidents respectively.
However, 9mobile not only had more outages but also took longer to restore services compared to its competitors.
These network breaks often shut down essential communication tools completely.
Even smaller faults that happen more frequently can lower service quality, depending on where and how severe they are. Operators usually try to redirect traffic if the damage is not on a main fibre route before sending technicians to fix the issue.
But this year, breaks on major fibre lines have become more common, making repairs more difficult and time-consuming.
Compared to other African countries such as South Africa and Kenya, Nigeria deals with longer and more frequent network failures.
The problems largely come from weak infrastructure, unstable power supply, and regulatory challenges.
