Nigeria’s telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has acknowledged ongoing quality of service challenges affecting mobile network users in Abuja, blaming the situation on disruptions to diesel supply at key telecommunications infrastructure sites.
In a statement issued on Friday, December 12, 2025, the Commission said the outages and degraded service experienced by subscribers were linked to diesel supply disruptions affecting IHS Nigeria Limited, a major colocation and tower infrastructure provider that powers base stations for mobile network operators, including MTN and Airtel, in the affected areas.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission acknowledges the quality of service challenges being experienced in Abuja, which have impacted the quality of experience of telecommunications subscribers,” the NCC said.
Telecoms networks in Nigeria rely heavily on diesel-powered generators to keep base stations running due to unreliable grid electricity. Tower companies like IHS own and operate these base stations, supplying power, security, and maintenance services to mobile operators that deliver voice and data services to consumers.
According to the NCC, the current service disruptions stem from the activities of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), which reportedly disrupted diesel supplies to the affected sites, leading to widespread outages across parts of the capital.
“The challenges are a result of the activities of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association, which disrupted diesel supplies to sites with the attendant telecommunications services outages in Abuja,” the Commission said.
The regulator stated that it is collaborating with major industry stakeholders and licensees to address the situation and restore normal service as soon as possible. It also stressed the importance of a reliable power supply to the delivery of quality telecom services nationwide.
“The NCC is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the diesel supply issues and explore sustainable solutions,” the statement noted, adding that the Commission is facilitating dialogue between affected service providers and other parties involved.
Interestingly, diesel scarcity has consistently caused service outages for Nigerian telcos. As far back as 2015, MTN warned subscribers that “diesel scarcity in most parts of Nigeria is posing a significant threat to quality of service.”
Meanwhile, diesel supply is just one of the many reasons why telcos have outages in Nigeria. Telcos recorded 19,000 fibre cuts in eight months this year. However,MTN did not give an explanation for a major outage it had this year, which left subscribers with zero connection. Thankfully, NCC has created a portal that tracks telecom service disruption.
For Abuja residents, however, the NCC urged patience, assuring users that it is taking steps to resolve the bottlenecks affecting critical telecoms infrastructure in the city.
“We thank telecommunications subscribers for their understanding and patience during this period and reaffirm our commitment to delivering high-quality telecommunications services nationwide,” the Commission said.
