MTN Nigeria Warns of Service Disruption

Potential Service Disruptions for MTN Nigeria Subscribers

Recent reports indicate that subscribers of MTN, Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, could experience service interruptions within the nation. This information stems from a notice circulated to various journalists and news organizations.

Rising Insecurity as a Contributing Factor

An increase in security concerns across Nigeria is identified as a likely cause for potential disruptions to MTN’s services. News agencies, including Reuters, cite alerts originating from the company’s customer service representatives.

Throughout the current year, Nigeria has been grappling with a surge in criminal activities. These include instances of kidnapping, conflicts between agricultural communities, large-scale student abductions, and armed robberies.

According to the reported message, MTN stated, “Due to the escalating insecurity in various regions of Nigeria, service delivery to your organization may be affected in the coming days. Consequently, our technical support teams may encounter difficulties reaching sites, potentially impacting fault management turnaround times.”

A request for official confirmation from MTN has not yet received a response.

Strong Financial Performance in Q1 2021

MTN Nigeria’s financial results for the first quarter of 2021 demonstrated substantial growth. Data revenue increased by 43% year-over-year, reaching N106 billion (approximately $257 million) and accounting for 28% of the company’s total revenue.

This growth in data revenue was driven by a 21% year-over-year increase in active data subscribers, reaching 32.5 million, and a 27% year-over-year rise in smartphone penetration to 36.3 million. These figures underscore MTN’s dominant position within the Nigerian market.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveals that MTN controls 43% of Nigeria’s internet subscribers and 38% of the country’s mobile subscribers.

Variable Service Quality and Recent Concerns

The experience of using MTN’s services, like that of other network providers in Nigeria, has been varied. However, recent weeks have seen a prevalence of negative experiences among Nigerians, particularly following the government’s ban on Twitter and subsequent anxieties regarding potential internet restrictions.

Potential Strike Action by Telecoms Union

Local media reports corroborate concerns about potential disruptions, though for a different reason: a planned nationwide strike by a union representing telecommunications workers.

The Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN), representing senior staff in the sector, announced a three-day industrial strike commencing on Wednesday. This action is in protest against “arbitrary dismissals of workers and the increasing use of casual employment contracts.”

PTECSSAN’s statement accuses Nigerian telecommunications companies of multiple offenses, including violations of freedom of association and workers’ rights to organize, victimization of union members, and unfair compensation practices.

Further accusations include abuse of expatriate quotas, intimidation tactics, and instances of harassment and verbal abuse directed towards employees.

Conflicting Information from Customer Care

Several MTN customer care representatives contacted by TechCrunch were either unaware of the aforementioned message or denied its validity. One agent stated, “We are not anticipating any network issues.” Another assured, “We currently have no information regarding service disruptions in the near future. Customers will be promptly notified via message should any such information become available.”