Nigeria’s Telecom Crisis: When Stolen Cables and Batteries Silence a Nation
One June morning, millions of Nigerians woke up to silence. Not from NEPA this time, but from their phones and internet. Calls refused to connect, transfers bounced, and everyday apps went dead. At first, many thought it was “just bad network again,” but the truth was more alarming — a fibre cable had been cut in Lekki, Lagos. It wasn’t an accident. It was vandalism.
Sadly, this isn’t an isolated case. Across Nigeria, telecom operators are fighting a silent war. Terrorists in the North are destroying masts, while thieves in the South are carting away batteries, generators, and diesel. MTN revealed that over 6,000 fibre cuts happened in 2023 alone, draining the industry of billions. Airtel says it suffers around 40 vandalism cases every single day.
What’s worse? The stolen batteries don’t vanish into thin air — they reappear in our neighbourhoods, sold as inverter batteries powering homes. Generators and fuel from sites also end up in black markets. Even with tracking technology, operators admit the thieves always find a way.
The impact goes beyond “bad network.” Nigeria’s digital economy now makes up about 18% of the country’s GDP. Every time a fibre is cut, payments stop, online businesses crash, transportation apps freeze, and classrooms go dark. In rural areas, people who depend solely on mobile phones for banking and emergencies are left stranded for days.
Last year, President Tinubu declared telecom infrastructure as critical national assets, putting them on the same level as military barracks and hospitals. Yet, enforcement is still weak, and operators complain of sabotage, local disputes, and corruption making the situation worse.
For everyday Nigerians, this is no longer a matter of dropped calls or slow browsing. It’s about survival in a digital age where phones have become our wallets, offices, and lifelines. Unless real protection is put in place, the June blackout may only be a small taste of the crises ahead.
