The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has warned that over 16,000 telecom base stations across the country could go offline following a blockade of diesel supply depots by oil sector unions. The affected facilities, run by infrastructure provider IHS Towers, are at risk due to restricted access to fuel in Lagos, Kaduna, and Delta states.
The blockade, linked to an ongoing dispute involving the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), threatens critical national services including banking, emergency communications, and security operations.
While ALTON clarified it does not intervene in member disputes, the association called for immediate resolution, warning that telecom infrastructure is designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) under Nigerian law and any disruption could have serious national security implications.
ALTON urged relevant stakeholders, including the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Communications Commission, to intervene before the crisis spirals into a nationwide communications blackout. The group stressed that ongoing obstruction to fuel access risks destabilizing Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and undermining essential services.
