Telecoms spend N2.1tn on infrastructure, yet 245 major outages disrupt services in May

Telecoms spend N2.1tn on infrastructure, yet 245 major outages disrupt services in May

Nigeria’s telecommunications operators invested more than N2.1 trillion in network expansion and modernisation in 2025, but the industry continues to battle widespread infrastructure damage that is disrupting services and threatening the country’s digital transformation ambitions.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) uptime portal showed that telecom operators recorded 245 major network outages in May 2026 alone, affecting voice and data services across various parts of the country.

The outages impacted operators including MTN, Airtel, T2 Mobile (formerly 9mobile), BCN, FibreOne, Layer3, IPNX and Tizeti, exposing the growing gap between record infrastructure investments and the realities of operating telecommunications networks in Nigeria.

According to NCC records, fibre cuts were responsible for 183 of the 245 incidents reported during the month, accounting for about 75 percent of all outages. This means nearly eight out of every 10 major disruptions recorded in May were caused by damaged fibre optic cables.

Power outages followed with 32 incidents, while equipment failures accounted for 15 cases. Other causes included equipment theft, vandalism, fallen masts, core network failures and disruptions affecting electronic recharge applications and USSD services.

The figures emerged at a time when telecom operators are embarking on one of the largest infrastructure investment drives in the industry’s history.

Industry data shows operators plan to invest more than $1 billion, equivalent to over N2.1 trillion, in 2026 to upgrade approximately 12,000 telecom sites nationwide, expand broadband coverage and improve service quality. The sector is also pursuing a long-term fibre expansion programme estimated at about $2 billion.

Yet, despite the unprecedented spending, operators continue to lose billions of naira annually to fibre cuts, vandalism and infrastructure theft.

Industry estimates indicate that fibre-related disruptions cost operators between N27 billion and N35.4 billion annually when direct repair expenses, lost revenue and operational disruptions are combined. Direct repair costs alone are estimated at over N14 billion every year.

For millions of Nigerians, the impact extends beyond statistics.

A dropped call during a business transaction, failed banking service, interrupted hospital communication or inability to access emergency services can have serious consequences. Industry stakeholders argue that every outage affects productivity, economic activity and public confidence in digital services.

Yahaya Ibrahim, the chief technical officer of MTN Nigeria, said the industry is currently facing two conflicting realities: massive investments in network expansion and persistent attacks on critical infrastructure.

Speaking in an interview with BusinessDay, Ibrahim said the situation poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

“Massive capital injection on one hand and constant infrastructure damage on the other pose serious challenges to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda,” he said.

According to him, MTN is investing heavily to improve network quality and capacity across the country.

“We spent about N1 trillion in 2025 to expand and modernise our network. This includes hardware, fibre cables, power systems and services for executing installations nationwide,” Ibrahim stated.

He explained that the investment is targeted at expanding LTE coverage, upgrading switching centres, increasing network capacity and eliminating congestion in densely populated locations.

Despite these investments, fibre cuts remain one of the industry’s biggest challenges.

Ibrahim disclosed that MTN recorded 397 fibre cuts in May 2025 alone, compared to an average monthly figure of about 35 incidents at the end of 2024.

“In some countries, you can go a whole year without a single fibre cut. Here, we had nearly 400 in one month. It is completely unsustainable,” he said.

He attributed the incidents to road construction activities, vandalism, theft, poor coordination among agencies and deliberate sabotage.

Recalling one incident along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ibrahim said damage to a utility pole disrupted connectivity far beyond Lagos. “Someone once knocked down a utility pole along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, dragging fibre cables with it. That isolation not just affected parts of Lagos but impacted traffic to our submarine cable, affecting users as far as Ghana and Liberia who rely on that connection,” he disclosed.

To manage the growing threat, MTN budgets about N7 billion annually for fibre relocation projects. “We anticipate it. Whether it is road expansion or someone burning a manhole, we must be ready to move our cables. This is money we could be spending on new deployments, but instead we are constantly repairing what was already done,” Ibrahim said.

The financial burden reflects a broader industry problem. According to available industry data, MTN experiences more than 6,000 fibre cuts annually, while Airtel reports an average of about 1,000 fibre-cut incidents every month.

Tobechukwu Okigbo, the chief corporate services and sustainability officer of MTN Nigeria, said vandalism and fibre cuts remain some of the oldest and most persistent challenges facing the telecommunications sector. “The telecommunications vandalism challenge is one of the industry’s oldest problems. I often joke that I could take a letter I wrote on vandalism in 2006, change the date and send it out today because the issues remain largely the same,” Okigbo said.

According to him, telecom operators spent years advocating for telecom infrastructure to be recognised as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), and while that designation has now been secured, the attacks have continued.

“The Office of the National Security Adviser deserves credit for helping to move that process forward. However, vandalism remains widespread. Fibre cables are cut. Power cables are stolen. Network facilities are damaged,” he said.

Okigbo noted that operators in some locations experience dozens of fibre cuts daily. “Every cut affects service quality. Every repair costs money. Every disruption affects customers.”

He added that operators spend enormous amounts every year simply maintaining existing infrastructure before even considering network expansion projects.

“We face Nigerian realities. Power infrastructure challenges, multiple taxation, vandalism, right-of-way issues, fibre cuts, security concerns and rapid population growth all affect how networks are built and maintained. Despite those challenges, operators continue investing billions of naira in expanding coverage, increasing capacity and improving customer experience,” he averred.