Nigeria’s largest telecom operator, MTN, has reported over 5,400 fiber-optic cable cuts in the first seven months of 2025, warning that these frequent disruptions are affecting service quality and slowing digital progress.
MTN’s Public Relations Manager, Lakinbofa Goodluck, revealed that, by July, the total number of incidents reached 5,478, with 760 occurring in that month alone. Most of the cuts have been linked to road construction and vandalism.
“What happens is that when the network is bad, someone somewhere has cut a cable,” Goodluck told a gathering of digital media professionals, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. He urged stronger measures to protect telecom infrastructure, including criminalizing vandalism, and appealed for government support from Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu.
Related: Nigeria’s Telecom Sector Faces Rising Threat from Infrastructure Vandalism
MTN has heavily invested in Nigeria’s telecom sector, most recently pledging NTN 1 trillion (around USD 600 million) to expand 4G and 5G services. Serving more than 80 million subscribers nationwide, the operator highlighted that repeated cable cuts disrupt customer experience, incur significant repair costs, and hamper economic activity.
Industry experts note that fiber cuts are not exclusive to MTN, as other providers face similar challenges. Estimates suggest that around 70% of cases are due to roadworks, with the remainder largely linked to vandalism. Some criminals reportedly target cables for resale as scrap. Earlier this month, parts of Lagos experienced prolonged outages due to a major cut.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has acknowledged the issue, urging contractors to coordinate with telecom companies during construction projects. Analysts say that while tougher penalties may help, long-term solutions require collaboration between government, industry, and communities to protect critical infrastructure.
Read More: MTN Confirms No Telkom Acquisition, Plans Fiber Expansion
