Residents of Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states in Nigeria are currently experiencing network outages due to simultaneous fibre cuts affecting MTN and 9mobile.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, the fibre cuts occurred around 7:09 pm on Thursday, May 29, 2025, and the disruption is still ongoing.

As a result, people in the affected areas are unable to make voice calls, send SMS, or use mobile data services.

The report identifies numerous communities across the three states currently affected by the network blackout. These include Aliero, Anka, Arewa Dandi, Argungu, Augie, Bagudo, Bakura, Binji, Birnin Kebbi, Bodinga, Dange Shuni, Fakai, and Gada.

Additional affected areas are Goronyo, Gummi, Kebbe, Maiyama, Maru, Rabah, Sakaba, Shagari, Silame, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Talata-Mafara, Tambuwal, Tangaza, Tureta, Wamako, Wurno, and Yabo.

Over the years, Nigerian telecom operators have repeatedly raised concerns about frequent fibre cuts, which cause major network disruptions and cost billions annually in repairs.

Recently, the Director of Corporate Communications and CSR, Femi Adeniran, called for urgent action to protect telecom infrastructure, highlighting that the company was experiencing an average of 43 fibre cuts daily.

He attributed these fibre cuts mainly to construction activities, vandalism, and poor coordination among stakeholders, describing the issue as an epidemic in Nigeria’s telecom industry.

“These interruptions not only inconvenience consumers but also hinder businesses, delay government operations, and compromise public safety, particularly in emergencies,” he said.

“On average, operators report multiple incidents daily, disrupting services to millions of Nigerians.  Airtel Nigeria alone records a daily average of 43 fibre cuts and in the last six months, a total of 7742,” he noted.

To tackle the problem, the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy established a Joint Standing Committee on the Protection of Fiber Optic Cables in February this year.