In recent months, MTN Nigeria has come under fire for declining network quality, rising outages, and poor service. But behind the scenes, the company says it is grappling with structural challenges. In this interview, Yahaya Ibrahim, chief technical officer at MTNN, speaks to Temitayo Jaiyeola about the root of the crisis and more.
How resilient is MTN’s network infrastructure, given the kinds of issues we’ve seen recently?
The system has been quite resilient considering what it is up against. We experience over 30 fibre cuts every single day, and last year alone, we recorded more than 560 vandalised sites. Sometimes it is deliberate sabotage, other times it is due to construction works, or people digging without proper planning. We also have landlords who may not understand how essential our infrastructure is and shut down a site or deny access. Despite this, we continue to operate.
Do we have some degradation in service at times? Yes. But do we go completely off in entire states or across large clusters of sites? No. Except in very rare cases where we have had multiple fibre cuts. That speaks to the resilience of our network and the amount of redundancy we have built in. It is not perfect, but it is never completely unavailable, and that is quite remarkable given what we are dealing with.
The president recently gazetted the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill. Has this helped reduce the level of vandalism or damage to telecom infrastructure?
Officially recognising telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure is a major step forward. It makes it easier to secure our infrastructure, and it sends a strong signal that damaging this infrastructure affects millions of people.
Many people do not realise how dependent modern life is on connectivity. Your ability to communicate with loved ones, run your business, access healthcare, and even participate in elections all depend on telecom infrastructure. So, this legislation is critical.
As for enforcement, you are right that some people may not take it seriously until someone is made an example of. But I believe we should begin with education. Many people simply do not understand the damage they are causing. For example, a landlord in Abuja recently locked up a site and would not allow diesel to be delivered. That affected the entire surrounding area. Customers were calling us, saying the network was poor. But they did not know it was the action of one landlord that caused it. The landlord himself did not even realise the ripple effect of his action.
We need to start with public awareness on the importance of telecom infrastructure. Once that is in place, enforcement can follow for those who continue to disrupt services.
MTN has faced a lot of criticism in recent months about the poor quality of service. What caused this decline?
The past few months have been particularly difficult. Before the recent tariff adjustments, the telecom sector was under immense financial pressure. Things got so strained that we were borrowing just to pay our service providers and power our sites. That was our reality.
During that period, investment stalled. Thankfully, the government recognised the situation and stepped in with tariff reviews and policy support. But beyond financial constraints, we have also had to manage rising user numbers, more connected devices, heavier applications, and the usual issues, fibre cuts, vandalism, and energy challenges. Even when we do everything right, one cut fibre line or a damaged site can degrade service in a whole area.
That said, we have resumed investments. This year alone, MTN is investing N900 billion in network infrastructure.
You may have already noticed improvements in some locations. We have upgraded high-congestion areas like Kubwa and Karu in Abuja, and our KPIs show reduced congestion and a better user experience. We are working daily to improve service levels.
When can subscribers expect to feel these improvements?
We are targeting the end of next quarter or early Q4 for major improvements in the areas we have prioritised this year. Equipment is already arriving, and we have mapped out the worst-hit locations. We are addressing them one by one.
But it is important to understand that network investment is never done. As you expand, more users come in, data usage increases, and demand rises. It is a constant cycle. That is why we are focused on building a resilient, flexible network that can adapt as demand grows.
Is Nigeria anywhere close to peak data usage, or are we still far from that point?
We are nowhere near peak. We are just getting started. Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world — a population that is digital-native, mobile-first, and increasingly online. Broadband penetration still has room to grow. Smartphone penetration is also increasing.
We are already seeing massive data growth in secondary towns and rural areas, not just in urban centres. With the continued rollout of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and the expansion of 4G and 5G, demand will keep rising. And with more immersive applications like online gaming, e-learning, telemedicine, and streaming, data use is only going up.
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Speaking of rural areas, coverage is still patchy in many communities. What’s MTN doing about that?
This is a major priority for us. In 2025 alone, we are deploying over 300 new rural sites and upgrading more than 1,000 existing sites from 2G to 4G. These upgrades will bring broadband connectivity to communities that previously only had voice or very basic data.
You recently signed a new infrastructure-sharing deal with Airtel. What should consumers expect?
This is one of our most exciting recent developments. The deal with Airtel involves active network sharing, not just passive infrastructure like towers, but also radio access equipment. This is the future of telecoms.
Consumers can expect faster rollout of new services, broader coverage, and better reliability. Instead of duplicating infrastructure, we are pooling resources to serve customers more efficiently. Globally, this model has proven successful; it reduces costs, supports environmental sustainability, and accelerates service delivery. It is a win-win.
What’s the status of MTN’s new data centre? And do you think we need more data centres?
Our new data centre is almost complete and is scheduled to go live this quarter. It is part of our broader strategy to strengthen infrastructure and support the continued growth of ICT services across the country.
We definitely need more data centres in the country. It is not just about keeping up with data growth, it is also about ensuring geographical redundancy. Right now, most data centres are concentrated in Lagos, largely because that is where submarine cables land.
But with new undersea cables landing in places like Akwa Ibom, new connectivity hubs are emerging. Our goal is to build a distributed infrastructure model that lowers latency, improves reliability, and ensures failover protection in case of disruptions.
Personally, what new technologies are you most excited about?
Definitely, Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is transforming our operation. We can now use AI to predict network issues before they happen, personalise customer experiences, and automate internal functions—from HR to finance.
We also have Ziggy, our AI-powered customer service chatbot, which is getting smarter every day. But we are not just adopting off-the-shelf solutions, we are building local capabilities. We want to be creators of AI, not just consumers.
Does MTN have an AI strategy?
Yes. It spans multiple areas—network planning, customer experience, HR, and more. Tools like Ziggy are just the beginning. As the technology matures, we are expanding our internal capabilities and may even train our own local AI models in the future.
It has been a while since MTN rolled out 5G. How is it going?
Honestly, 5G globally has not yet lived up to the early hype, and Nigeria is no exception. The biggest challenge is device affordability. A 5G phone is still out of reach for many Nigerians.
But we are moving forward. We are rolling out 5G for Fixed Wireless Access, testing industrial use cases, and preparing for what is ahead. We already have over 2,000 5G-enabled sites. Industry projections show that 5G will overtake 4G in Africa by 2030, and we intend to stay ahead of that curve.
Are you concerned about cybersecurity? MTN Group recently raised some concerns. What is the strategy in Nigeria?
While we haven’t recorded any major cybersecurity breaches on our network, we are not complacent. Cybersecurity is a top priority, especially now, with AI introducing new, more complex threat vectors. Nothing is impossible in today’s digital environment, so we plan for worst-case scenarios while striving for the best outcomes.
MTN Nigeria has invested heavily in a multi-layered, resilient cybersecurity infrastructure. We have a skilled team monitoring and responding to threats 24/7. Beyond our local team, we are part of a comprehensive, group-wide framework that ensures consistency, intelligence sharing, and rapid response across all operations.
So far, this approach has kept our network secure and resilient. But cybersecurity is not a one-time fix — it is an evolving field, and we are constantly updating protocols and leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance detection and prevention across all network layers.
Let’s talk about your journey. You have been in telecoms for over 20 years. How would you describe the industry’s evolution, and what’s next?
Yes. I joined MTN as a transmission engineer in 2002. That is over two decades in the sector, and the transformation has been remarkable. Back then, we were deploying 2G, and over time, we have moved through 3G, 4G, and now into 5G. Each generation has brought new possibilities and raised new expectations.
What is most striking is how fast innovation now happens. We have had to evolve quickly to stay ahead, not just for the sake of technology, but to meet the changing needs of our customers. That is key: it is not just about adopting the latest technology. We first ask, do our customers need it? Are they ready for it? If not, it is not a priority.
We have a clear technology roadmap, and our infrastructure is designed to scale. But every decision we make is grounded in local relevance and customer readiness. That is how we stay aligned with global trends while staying rooted in Nigeria’s unique context.
