On Saturday, February 8, network disruptions occurred in some parts of Lagos State. MTN Nigeria issued an apology to its customers regarding the issue:
“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.”
However, no explanation for the disruption was provided on their social media channels.
Due to the disruptions, many customers were unable to make calls, access data services, or send messages. Additionally, numerous customers reported unreliable network connections and slow internet speeds. However, these complaints were not limited to MTN Nigeria.
Experts have suggested that the network issues may have been caused by fiber optic cable cuts across the country. Both MTN and Airtel reported encountering nearly 80 fiber cable cuts daily. As a result, the government has declared that damaging telecom infrastructure is a criminal offense.
Another possible cause of the disruptions is insufficient investment in infrastructure. Telecom tariffs have remained nearly the same for over a decade, and companies are not making sustainable investments in infrastructure.
However, with the Nigerian Communications Commission‘s approval to raise tariffs, this issue could be resolved. Still, operators have warned that improvements won’t be immediate and will take time.