Diesel Blockade By Unions Threatens Nigeria’s Telecom Networks

Nigeria’s telecom industry is warning of a looming nationwide communications blackout after petroleum unions blocked diesel depots, cutting off fuel supplies to thousands of network sites.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said it had confirmed that members of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) had shut depots in Kaduna, Lagos and Delta states. The blockade, according to ALTON chairman Gbenga Adebayo, has halted diesel deliveries to more than 16,000 telecom sites run by IHS Towers, one of the country’s largest network infrastructure providers.
Union members are reportedly acting in protest over a commercial dispute stemming from allegations by IHS that two NOGASA-affiliated companies misappropriated diesel. While ALTON said it does not intervene in disputes between its members and third parties, it warned the fallout threatens services essential to the economy.
“These facilities support mobile and internet services as well as banking, emergency response and national security,” Adebayo said. “Telecom infrastructure is officially classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure under Nigerian law. Any disruption to its operation constitutes a serious threat to national security and economic stability and will attract strict legal consequences.”
The association urged NUPENG and NOGASA leadership to rein in their members and resolve the dispute through lawful means, warning that the shutdown risks paralysing critical communications nationwide. “We trust that NUPENG and NOGASA will continue to uphold the values of supporting national development without jeopardising essential services,” Adebayo said.
ALTON also called on the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Communications Commission and other regulators to step in immediately to prevent a disruption. The group reaffirmed its commitment to keeping services running but warned that blockades of this kind make it impossible for operators to meet that mandate.