The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is collaborating with major stakeholders and licensees to address the quality of service challenges in Abuja, which was caused by disruption to diesel supply affecting IHS Nigeria Limited, the colocation provider responsible for powering Airtel and MTN base stations in the affected areas.
The National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), disrupted diesel supplies to sites with the attendant telecommunications services outages in Abuja, citing indebtedness by the telecoms companies.
In April, NOGASA and telecoms operators were embroiled in complicated issues regarding diesel supplies to telecom mast stations, leading to a strike by the energy suppliers, who accused the telecom operators of habitual debt default and rejecting claims of sabotage
However, the NCC on Friday said it was committed to ensuring seamless communication services for all Nigerians and recognizes the importance of reliable power supply for the provision of optimal telecommunication services.
“The NCC is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the diesel supply issues and explore sustainable solutions,” the Commission said in a statement by its head, Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha.
“The Commission urges all parties to work together to collaboratively resolve these challenges swiftly by removing the diesel supply bottlenecks affecting critical telecommunications infrastructure, arising from NOGASA’s actions,” Ukoha stated.
In the face of these challenges, the commission reiterated its commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the growth and sustainability of telecommunications services in Nigeria.
“We are taking proactive steps to facilitate dialogues between the impacted service providers and other stakeholders to promptly resolve the diesel supply concerns that have negatively impacted service quality,” Ukoha added.
She maintained that the Commission remained dedicated to effectively managing the situation and would keep the public updated on progress towards restoring full telecommunication services in Abuja.
“We thank telecommunications subscribers for their understanding and patience during this period and reaffirm our commitment to delivering high-quality telecommunications services nationwide,” she said.
