Revealed: Why Nigerians experience internet outages amid protests

• Nigerians have been hit with internet downtime amid a mass protest across the country
• Many Nigerians say they suspect sabotage as the government allegedly plans to stop them from mobilizing via the Internet
• Many subscribers of prominent telecommunication networks say they are unable to access the Internet, make or receive calls

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.

Amid the nationwide hunger protest, Nigerians have been hit with massive internet outages spanning major networks.

Subscribers of many telecommunication firms lament their inability to access many websites, especially social networks such as X and Facebook.

Nigerians lament poor network amid ongoing hunger protest Credit: Ivan Pantic
Source: Getty Images

Nigerians suspect sabotage

Many Nigerians suspect the authorities may have deliberately slowed down the Internet to stop the organizers from mobilizing via social networks.

According to reports, the downtime began on the night of Wednesday, July 31, 2024, with industry sources linking it to a damaged fiber and external sabotage.

Another report said 9Mobile subscribers have lamented a prolonged network outage that has prevented them from making or receiving calls or using the Internet.

9Mobile subscribers lament days of downtime

This development follows a report that LH Telecommunication Limited, a new investor, has acquired the telecom firm.

Many subscribers of one of the significant networks expressed frustration over the downtime amid the ongoing protest.

Nigerians are out on the streets protesting bad governance and economic hardship.

They have called on the government to revert to a petrol subsidy and to stabilize the exchange rates.

They also lament the high cost of living and inflation, which is about 34.19%, according to a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Banks may shut branches as hunger amid hunger protests

Legit.ng previously reported that Banks and other financial institutions in Nigeria will shut down on Thursday, August 1, 2024, as the hunger protest begins nationwide.

None of the banks officially sent out a notice of closure to customers, but employees disclosed in a chat that they have been asked not to report for work on Thursday, August 1, 2024, as the banks monitor the protest.

Also, the financial institution's regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has issued a notice of closure to banks due to the protests.

Source: Legit.ng