After enduring nine months without mobile internet, Adams Ojo, loyal to his 9Mobile number, made a final attempt to resolve his network issues at a 9Mobile office in Lagos. Ojo wasn’t alone—hundreds of customers were similarly frustrated. An employee explained that fibre cuts had caused blackouts in areas such as Addo Road, Badore, and Sangotedo.
Service issues extended to cities like Ogun State, where Bolu Faramade switched providers due to unreliable customer support. Mercy Etim in Abia State also abandoned 9Mobile, citing years of reliance on the now-failing network.
9Mobile, acquired by LightHouse Telecommunications in 2024, has struggled with declining infrastructure investment. The company did not add any new fibre cables between 2018 and 2022, leaving it with just 4,650 km of fibre. In contrast, MTN Nigeria, which saw a subscriber surge of 6.6 million from 2022 to 2024, has invested heavily, with 35,000 km of fibre laid.
This stagnation has severely impacted 9Mobile’s ability to compete in Nigeria’s telecom market, leading to over 1.1 million subscribers leaving the network in two years. As the “sick man” of the industry, 9Mobile’s failure to address core infrastructure and customer service challenges has made it difficult to retain customers, pushing many to switch to more reliable networks like MTN.
Despite efforts by the new owners, improving 9Mobile’s network and public image remains a daunting task.