Efforts by mobile operator MTN Nigeria to modernise its network has suffered a setback owing to flood damage in parts of the country.

Flooding has ravaged the country this month, resulting in thousands of Nigerians having been displaced.

And the force of nature has affected MTN’s plan to carry out a network optimisation exercise affecting over 4,000 base stations across the country.

MTN’s current network modernisation and swap-out exercise, which started in July 2012, is expected to cover the entire country.

The project - being implemented by MTN engineers and technical partners that include Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE - key network components are being swapped with the latest upgrades in the industry.

In addition, current power systems are being replaced with hybrid power systems that are said to be more environment-friendly

“Although the various activities related to MTN’s network modernisation are progressing steadily, we regret, however, that the pace of work has been considerably challenged by the spate of insecurity coupled with the unprecedented flooding being experienced in many parts of the country,”
said MTN Nigeria’s corporate services executive, Mr Wale Goodluck.

Goodluck added that the task that MTN is undertaking is akin to building a new network.