•Count losses, threaten legal action
By Chinenye Anuforo
Millions of 9Mobile subscribers across the country are expressing growing frustration and financial losses over prolonged network downtime.
For over a month, many reported inability to make or receive calls, send SMS or access the internet.
The network disruptions have also hampered users from switching to other service providers (porting), thus compounding their woes.
Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), have become a hub where aggrieved customers vent their frustrations.
With no end in sight to the challenge, some of the subscribers are threatening legal actions to compel the telecom operator to compensate them for their mounting losses.
Users like @ogbechevin and @JAMBABO have called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to intervene, citing a lack of communication from 9Mobile. @marhgi sarcastically noted the network has been in “emergency” state since January, while @Mr. keke pablo lamented the instability of the service.
“I can’t verify my WhatsApp due to no network for more than one month now, this is really bad and heart breaking,” stated King Wisdom David (@ I am KWD) on X. Olayinka Emmanuel, a Lagos-based school instructor collaborated, stating, “Their network just goes off without warning and stays that way for days. I can’t complete bank transactions because I don’t receive OTPs.”
Funmisho Adebiyi, a nutritionist, also reported removing her 9Mobile SIM due to persistent network failures. Subscribers across various states, including Kano and Bauchi, have similarly complained about the prolonged disruptions.
Adding to the subscribers’ horror, there are reports that customers are unable to port their numbers to other networks due to the ongoing network issues.
“You didn’t mention 9mobile. Those ones don’t even care, to make matters worse, I heard one can no longer port sims,” tweeted @Sslimjayy.
Penultimate week, 9Mobile officially acknowledged the lingering network disruptions, attributing them to system upgrades and unforeseen external challenges.
The company stated, “We are in the process of making significant improvements to our network, and unfortunately, these upgrades, along with some unforeseen external challenges, have contributed to the issues some of our customers are facing.”
While 9Mobile has assured customers that resolving the issues was a “top priority,” they have not provided a specific timeline for service restoration. They also denied rumours of a potential shutdown.
The company clarified that porting issues are due to network instability and not intentional blocking from its end as alleged.
9Mobile added: “For compensation, our management will decide accordingly and we will communicate to our customers.”
The company, which once boasted over 22 million subscribers in 2016, has seen its customer base dwindle to 3.2 million as of January 2025. Despite a recent acquisition by LH Telecommunication Limited and a $3 billion investment plan aimed at revit6alizing its infrastructure, customers are yet to see significant improvements.
Some 9Mobile users are considering legal action against the company. “9mobile users should form a coalition and take legal action against the company for various violations, including: 1. Failure to provide reliable service (contrary to Section 34 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003)Breach of contract (contrary to Section 34 of the same Act 2003),” tweeted @Upd.