By our reporter 8-8-2025
Unless there is an urgent reversal of trends in the diesel supply chain, Nigerian mobile phone users may soon suffer a blackout as scarcity of the product is threatening to shut down over 16,000 telecom sites nationwide.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), which raised the alarm said the short in supply of diesel has caused disruptions to power telecommunications infrastructure across the country.
ALTON revealed that members of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) on Tuesday blocked access to key diesel loading depots in Kaduna, Lagos, and Koko in Delta State.
The action has prevented one of its major members, IHS Towers, from fueling thousands of cell sites, putting approximately 16,000 telecommunications sites at risk of shutdown.
“These sites are vital not only for mobile and internet services to millions of Nigerians but also support essential services such as banking, hospital systems, emergency services, and national security operations,” ALTON chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo said:
“We urge NUPENG and NOGASA to call their members to order and to resolve disputes through lawful processes
“Telecom infrastructure has been officially designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) under Nigerian law, and any deliberate disruptions will attract serious legal consequences,” he said.
Meanwhile, ALTON called on the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene before the situation escalates.