In an official statement released on Thursday, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), confirmed widespread internet outages affecting several African internet service providers due to submarine cable cuts.
Signed by Reuben Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, the statement highlighted the impact on operators such as the West African Cable System, African Coast to Europe, SAT3, and MainOne.
The disruptions were attributed to incidents in Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, with subsequent effects extending to Portugal. The NCC noted similar challenges along other undersea cable routes, including Seacom, Europe India Gateway, and Asia-Africa-Europe 1, which also experienced cuts, particularly around the Red Sea.
This outage has led to frustration among subscribers, who took to social media platforms to express difficulties in making phone calls and accessing online services. Despite these setbacks, the NCC reassured the public that cable operators are actively engaged in repair efforts, with services gradually being restored.
The commission emphasised the importance of informing corporations and consumers about the ongoing service disruptions. Earlier acknowledgments came from MTN Nigeria, the country’s leading telecommunications provider, which assured subscribers of efforts to resolve the issue promptly.
This incident follows a similar network connection crisis a few weeks ago, affecting major operators across the country. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), attributed the connectivity issue to significant fibre cuts by road contractors employed by the Federal Government. Efforts are underway by affected telecom operators to rectify the situation.
