MTN flags fibre-cut outage in four northeast states, restores Adamawa, Borno services

MTN Nigeria has alerted subscribers in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe to network disruptions caused by fibre cuts, with voice calls and mobile internet affected. The alert was issued on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The company later said services had been restored in parts of Adamawa and Borno states.

What MTN told subscribers

MTN said the affected customers could have difficulty making voice calls, accessing mobile internet and using other telecommunications services. It blamed fibre cuts for the interruption and said engineers were working to restore services as quickly as possible.

MTN said: "We're experiencing network challenges in some parts of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States due to fibre cut and our services may be temporarily unavailable as a result. Our engineers are working to restore services as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

Partial restoration, no damage estimate

In a subsequent update, MTN apologised to customers affected by the disruption. It confirmed that services had been restored in parts of Adamawa and Borno states. The company did not provide a separate confirmation of service restoration in Gombe and Yobe.

MTN said: "We sincerely apologise for the challenges experienced today with our services in parts of Adamawa and Borno states. The issue has been resolved, and services are fully restored." It advised subscribers still experiencing network problems to restart their mobile devices to reconnect.

The telecom operator did not disclose the extent of the fibre damage or the number of customers affected by the outage. The incident adds to the challenges facing telecom operators in Nigeria, where damage to fibre-optic infrastructure can disrupt voice and data services across several locations.

Fibre cuts remain a telecom risk

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has consistently expressed concerns over persistent fibre-optic cuts across Nigeria. The regulator has warned against further damage because of its impact on the economy. In the first six months of 2025 alone, over 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were reported from road excavation, construction and related civil work.

Earlier, MTN Nigeria restored its airtime and data borrowing service, allowing eligible customers to dial *303# to borrow airtime or data based on their approved credit limit. The restoration came after Airtel and Glo had already resumed the service, following the suspension of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional (DEON) Consumer Lending Regulations.

The outage highlights the operating pressure on Nigerian telecom firms and the risk to consumers and businesses that depend on mobile voice and data. A fibre cut in one corridor can knock out services across several states, even as operators work to restore links.