Nigeria’s telecom sector is on the verge of collapse as a diesel supply crisis threatens to shut down critical infrastructure.
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has sounded the alarm, linked to an indefinite strike by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
ATCON President Tony Emoekpere confirmed the situation in a statement.
He said telecom base stations which run on generators are running on low fuel. If not addressed, these stations will shut down and millions of mobile and internet users will be disconnected across the country.
The strike started after tanker drivers protested police harassment in Lagos State.
Emoekpere said this has halted fuel loading and distribution.
“Truck movement has stopped entirely, diesel supply to telecom site has stopped,” he said.
If not resolved, this crisis will lead to nationwide network blackout. Such outage will disrupt mobile services, internet connectivity and business operations.
Emergency response system and daily communications will also fail and public safety will be at risk.
ATCON has appealed to the governors of Lagos and Ogun States to priority diesel supply to telecom operators.
Emoekpere said, “This is a national emergency not just a telecom issue. Economic activities and public safety is at stake.”
The association also urges security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis quickly.
A prolonged fuel shortage can destabilize Nigeria’s connectivity infrastructure and affect economic stability and individual livelihood.
Telecom towers in Nigeria rely heavily on diesel due to epileptic grid electricity.
According to BusinessDay Africa, over 60% of Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure run on generators as primary power source. This dependence shows how vulnerable the sector is to fuel supply disruption.
Analysts say a network blackout can cost Nigeria billions of Naira daily. Financial transactions, e-commerce and remote services – all that relies on stable internet – will grind to a halt.