MTN Nigeria recorded 9,218 cases of fibre cuts with 211 sites vandalised in 2025

Leading telecoms company MTN Nigeria has disclosed that it experienced 9,218 cases of fibre cut incidents in 2025, which disrupted its network and internet service operations. 

The data was revealed on Wednesday by Dr Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.

Karl Toriola noted that the review is not a celebration of what was achieved during the year, but rather a clear examination of customers’ experiences, network challenges, positives, and areas that need improvement.

‘We are not where we want to be yet, but our commitment to putting the customer at the centre of everything we do remains constant,” he added.

Telecom infrastructure vandalism

Like every other telecoms operator, MTN Nigeria faced challenges that disrupted network performance during the year. The report of 9,218 fibre cuts from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, reflects the struggle of customers to enjoy a quality voice and data service experience.

The data corroborates a recent report, which shows that out of the 118 cases of network outages Nigerian telecoms operators suffered in December 2025, MTN Nigeria experienced the highest, with 64 cases of disruptions. According to the findings on the NCC Uptime portal, incidents such as fibre cuts, power outages, bushfires, and vandalism of telecoms infrastructure compounded the network outages.

While telecom infrastructure, such as towers, fibre lines, base stations, and data centres, has been classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), operators continue to suffer continuous attacks. These are mostly orchestrated by vandals, thieves, and uncooperative communities.

In the review, Dr Karl Toriola revealed that about 211 telecom sites were impacted by theft and vandalism. According to him, the incidents occurred between January 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025. 

The MTN boss acknowledged the sources of the challenges, noting that “some of those gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism.” He added that “their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us.”

Karl Toriola

The impact of the disruption on subscribers led to a record of 1,624,263 complaints during the year. The complaints cut across calls, social media, emails and walk-in centres.

While affirming that all complaints received were solved, Toriola noted that “we take responsibility for the signals we receive and for how we respond to the realities that shape the customer experience on our network.”

Also Read: Nigerian telecoms suffered 118 network outages in December 2025

MTN Nigeria’s financial recovery amid network outage 

For the telecoms operator, its financial recovery in 2025 is a significant performance and dramatic turnaround for the company.

For the nine months ending September 2025, the company reported a profit after tax (PAT) of N750.19 billion, a swing of +245.7% dividend year-on-year from a N514.9 billion loss in the same period of 2024. This sharp reversal confirms its return to profitability and clears the path for resumed dividend payments.

The result also marks a restoration of positive retained earnings (N142.7 billion) and shareholders’ equity (N293.1 billion), reversing negative balances previously held.

Following the impressive financial report, the Board approved an interim dividend of ₦5.00 per share, a meaningful signal of confidence to investors after years of suspended payouts.

The performance shows MTN Nigeria’s ability to pivot from deep losses to robust profits within a year, powered by data growth, cost control, and favourable macro interplays.

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