MTN’s network disruptions, digital connectivity and consumer experience in Nigeria

*Millions of MTN Nigeria subscribers lament the Telco’s continued network disruptions are affecting businesses, organisations, and their digital life negatively, particularly in Lagos and Ogun states, as well as other parts of the country in recent times

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Several subscribers to MTN Nigeria Communications have continued to lament network disruptions resulting in unsustainable connectivity across the telecoms ecosystem, particularly in Lagos and Ogun states for several weeks running into months now.

MTN in one of the licensed MNOs providing a wide range of telecommunications services, including data, voice, and national roaming services with the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commision (NCC).

 ConsumerConnect investigations revealed that several business people, organisations, and individual consumers of the telecoms company’s products and services have complained about their daily tasks online, which are no longer flowing smoothly in recent times

Whereas many times suddenly, workflow has grounded to a halt due to poor or no network connectivity in many areas of Lagos and Ogun states lately.

Telecoms consumers 

Others also complained about Webpages that don’t load coupled with inaccessible files, as they express frustrations with the comparatively poor network connectivity.

Industry analysts have said such a network outage has huge implications particularly for national network provider serving millions of subscribers in the two states in the South-West region.

A recent visit to the major phones and other digital device market in Lagos, popularly known as “Computer Village”, in Ikeja, also indicated how traders, vendors, technicians, and consumers alike to struggle to secure better connectivity.

Some were seen leaving their shops and stalls for other locations within the market facility just to get better Internet connection to perform major tasks, and fulfil their customers’ demands.

Emma, a software technician and vendor, said he was majorly affected by the recent MTN network disruptions affecting the digital space in Lagos.

Lamenting his ordeal, he said: “Give us value for our money! There is no data network in the area since weekend.

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“Fix this by sending strong data network to the area! Your Internet network is dead in the area, not even slow connection.”

Uchechi, another phone vendor, who deals in wholesale of used phones, commented: “For almost three months now, I have been battling with poor MTN network.

“It would be good from 12a.m. to 9a.m. and anything past that is slower than snail.

“I struggle hard to load any pages.”

Aspects of network outages

Explaining different aspects of network outages, including their types, causes, and effective ways to handle them, ‘IO River’, in recent piece, described a network outage is a disruption, a halt, a freeze that can immobilise telecoms consumers’ world in seconds.

However, in regard to a global network outage of CDN (Content Delivery Network) or a network provider that serves thousands, if not millions of customers, the stakes are even higher.

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According to the agency, when the traffic comes to a standstill, it creates a ripple effect that affects not just the immediate vicinity but all connected routes and even neighbouring cities.

The piece also noted: “CDNs are like the superhighways of the internet, responsible for delivering content to users from nearby servers, optimising speed, and ensuring a seamless user experience.

“When these superhighways are blocked, websites load at a snail’s pace or, worse, become completely inaccessible.”

A network disruption too many

It is recalled that MTN Nigeria early February 2025, had issued an apology to its customers over network disruptions in parts of Lagos State.

The leading network operator had written to its subscribers via an SMS message: “Dear Customer, we sincerely apologise for the challenges experienced with internet services yesterday in parts of Lagos State.

“This has been resolved, and services are fully restored. Thank you for your understanding.”

As the telecoms company issued an apology at the time, some consumers yet noted that it failed to provide an explicit explanation for the disruptions that affected Thier digital life.

That was because the disruptions had left several MTN product and service subscribers unable to make calls, send messages, or access data services.

Telecoms consumers on the network in various parts of the state expressed their frustration on social media, citing frequent call drops, slow internet speeds, and unreliable network connections.

MTN’s seemingly endless apologies to telecoms subscribers

Again, MTN network disruptions in parts of Lagos and Ogun states are the latest in a series of service disruptions experienced by telecommunications consumers over the last few weeks.

Though consumers of other telecom providers have complained about difficulties accessing the Internet, many yet have criticised MTN Nigeria as a Telco that prides itself on being the biggest network operator in the country’s telecoms ecosystem.

Experts have speculated that the network disruptions could be down to fibre cuts across the country, just as MTN and other MNOs reportedly experience nearly 80 fibre cuts daily.

As MTN connectivity issues continue to disrupt consumers’ digital life across Lagos, Ogun states, and other part of the West African country, the Telco in the course of this week again, sent fresh series of “apology” SMS messages to subscribers.

The company stated: “Dear Customer, we’re experiencing network challenges in some parts of Lagos and Ogun States due to fiber cut, and our services may be temporarily unavailable as a result.

“Our engineers are working to restore services as soon as possible.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

In another message, the MNO, in an SMS message to consumers afternoon Thursday, October 23, 2025, said: “Dear Customer, we sincerely apologise for the challenges experienced today with our services in parts of Lagos and Ogun States.

“This has been resolved, and services are fully restored. Thank you for your understanding.”

However, checks revealed that a few hours after millions of MTN’s subscribers in the affected states had received the message, it is little or no improvement in its network connection in most areas of coverage as of Thursday evening.

Some who spoke with this publication said that their Quality of Service (QoS) in their areas still ranged from complete, partial to latency-related outages on MTN network as of Thursday afternoon.

Consumers, therefore, urged MTN to resolve its continued disruptions to their digital life in Lagos, Ogun, and other affected states of the Federation.

NCC and regulations on improved QoS, consumer experience  

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on several occasions, has clarified the currently leadership’s consumer-centric approach to industry matters.

Since his assumption of office, Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, has assured industry stakeholders that the Commission is working with Mobile Network Operators towards improving network capacity, Quality of Service, and consumer experience.

The NCC is the foremost regulatory body for telecommunications in the country, and MTN is one of the country’s largest Mobile Network Operators, serving over 84 million telecoms subscribers as of the First Quarter (Q1) of 2025.

The relationship between the two involves the NCC regulating MTN’s operations, including market share, network infrastructure, consumer complaints over their Quality of Experience (QoE) in the ecosystem.

In regard to comparatively poor service quality on virtually all the telecoms networks in recent times, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and NCC recently, disclosed a collaborative effort reviewing the extant National Telecoms Policy.

ConsumerConnect reports the regulatory Commission also plans quarterly disclosure of information regarding the Quality of Service (QoS) performance of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country’s telecoms space.

Restating the regulator’s stance on ensuring improved, sustainable connectivity in the telecoms space, the telecoms regulatory Commission has continued to ensure fair competition and the provision of quality services by MNOs, including MTN.

Dr. Maida revealed this development at a recent interactive media engagement, in Abuja, FCT.

Maida affirmed that the process of reviewing the telecoms policy has commenced.

“Since the National Telecoms Policy 2000, you will be pleased to know that we have started engagements with the Ministry to revise the telecoms policy,” he stated.

It is also noted that MTN has significantly increased its capital expenditure to expand its network infrastructure to meet the growing demand for data and improve service quality for its consumers.

The NCC’s regulatory actions have impacted MTN’s subscribers, such as the listing of the Telco on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) Limited, following a settlement, in 2016, with the NCC.

The move has boosted market capitalisation and potentially improved Quality of Service.

Telco shuts 101 sites for maintenance in Adamawa, Borno and Kano

In a related development, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc Tuesday, October 21 announced plans to perform a scheduled network maintenance exercise Saturday, October 25 this year, in Adamawa, Borno and Kano states.

The network provider, in a statement, disclosed the exercise would temporarily disrupt digital connectivity across parts of the three states in Northern Nigeria.

It also explained that the two-hour maintenance window, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., would affect 101 network sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the three Northern states.

According to the Telco, scheduled maintenance work is part of a long-term effort at improving service reliability, and strengthening the company’s fibre infrastructure in the part of the country.

It is also noted that the exercise involves a fibre cutover on a newly relocated cable segment between AFCOT and Bawo Village, replacing previously damaged spans and reducing multiple joints that have affected optical performance and network stability.

The MTN listed the affected areas in the three states as Nasarawa LGA in Kano State; Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, Gombi, Fufore, Mubi South, Madagali, Michika, Maiha, Chibok, and Yola North in Adamawa State; as well as Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno State.

The company stated that services on 2G, 3G, 4G, and 10 enterprise connections would be unavailable during the maintenance window due to the linear and unprotected nature of the fibre route.

MTN said the intervention builds on an earlier network restoration exercise conducted in August 2025 along the same AFCOT–Bawo fibre route.

This next phase is a more comprehensive upgrade designed to eliminate long-term faults and ensure more stable connectivity for customers in the region, MTN Nigeria said.

Affirming that telecoms consumers may experience temporary service disruptions in Adamawa, Borno and Kano states, the service provider expressed regret any inconvenience this measure might cause.

The company stated: “MTN regrets any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates customers’ understanding.”

Additional reporting by Isola Moses.

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