The Nigerian House of Representatives has summoned the chief executives of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom to appear before an ad hoc committee on 28 October over complaints about network quality.
The scrutiny follows an MTN outage in early October that affected voice and internet services in Lagos, Oyo, Rivers and Delta states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The development comes as Nigerian telecommunications operators recorded 44,678 fibre-cut incidents between January and September 2026, highlighting persistent risks to network reliability.
The Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Quality of Experience report also documented 23,954 cases of denied access to telecoms infrastructure and 3,732 equipment theft incidents.
According to the commission, cable degradation accounted for 17,462 fibre-cut cases, vandalism for 9,283 and connection problems for 9,008.
These incidents can disrupt calls, reduce mobile data speeds and interrupt digital payments, online learning and business services.
The quarterly figures show a sharp rise in the second quarter, with 24,669 cuts, compared with 11,419 in the first quarter and 8,590 in the third. June recorded the highest monthly total, at 10,251 incidents, followed by March with 9,349 and May with 8,236.
“Insecurity accounted for 17,482 access-denial cases, representing 73% of the total,” the commission said. Equipment theft included 1,270 cable thefts, 1,693 diesel thefts, 397 stolen batteries and 110 generators.
The Federal Government designated telecommunications facilities as Critical National Information Infrastructure in 2024. However, damage, theft and restricted site access continue to threaten service delivery.
In August, NCC chief executive Aminu Maida said more than 5,000 fibre cuts had been recorded in the first half of 2026, largely linked to road construction, excavation and related civil works.
“To a machine operator on a construction site, it may appear to be one buried cable. To the nation, it can mean failed calls, stalled payments, interrupted services and missed opportunities,” Maida said, calling for better coordination between contractors, operators and government agencies.
The commission said early coordination and information sharing could help prevent damage before excavation and construction work begins.
Share
