The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has detailed how its collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) successfully prevented a nationwide strike by the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA).
The strike, if carried out, would have cut off the supply of diesel to telecommunications sites, severely disrupting connectivity across the country.
In a statement, the NCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, explained that the commission provided technical and regulatory guidance during a mediation effort, whose goal was to highlight the potential threats of a service disruption to national security, the economy, and daily life. The successful resolution was a result of this collaborative effort, led by ONSA, which ultimately led to NOGASA suspending its planned industrial action.
The NCC reiterated its commitment to fully implementing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), which designates telecommunications facilities as critical national assets in need of protection.
This aligns with the statement from National Security Adviser Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, who emphasized that any disruption to telecom infrastructure, whether from vandalism, theft, or interruptions in essential supplies, has “far-reaching implications for service delivery, economic stability, and national security.”
In the days leading up to the resolution, ONSA held strategic talks with NOGASA’s leadership, with the NCC also participating. These discussions led to an agreement to call off the strike, thus averting a nationwide disruption of telecom services.
The NCC expressed gratitude to ONSA for its leadership and commended the maturity shown by all stakeholders. Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, stated, “We also recognize mediation as an effective tool for building consensus among stakeholders.
This resolution underscores the importance of dialogue in preventing avoidable service disruptions.” He urged all Nigerians to view telecom infrastructure as a shared national asset that underpins essential services like business, healthcare, and education.
The commission affirmed its ongoing commitment to working with security agencies, industry stakeholders, and the public to ensure Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure remains protected and reliable for everyone.