Tech companies especially telecom operators in Nigeria have announced their operations could be threatened by the current fuel scarcity in the country.

Out of the four major telecoms operators, three have released official statements enjoining their subscribers to be prepared for potential negative impacts of fuel scarcity on their operations.

MTN said the scarcity of diesel, especially, is negatively impacting its operations because its base stations and switches are entirely powered by generators that run on diesel.

“Most of our base stations and switches are powered round-the-clock by diesel generators and the current fuel shortage has drastically reduced the ability of diesel supply to key locations,” Akinwale Goodluck, MTN Nigeria’s Corporate Services Executive said.

According to Goodluck, MTN’s diesel reserves are getting depleted, necessitating the need for the network to source for diesel to avert shutting down its services across the country.

“If diesel supplies are not received within the next 24 hours (end of today), the network will beseriously degraded and customers will feel the impact,” he said.

Airtel Nigeria has also indicated there could be poor quality of service on the network as a result of fuel scarcity. A statement by the network revealed both voice and data services could be affected if it is unable to get diesel.

The network’s management said: “We are concerned that if the situation persists, it may have adverse effects on our network. We will continue working with all our partners and stakeholders to mitigate any negative impact as we remain committed to our promise of providing exceptional services just as we seek the cooperation and understanding of all whilst apologising for any inconvenience at this time.”

The management of Etisalat has also informed its subscribers to brace up for the potential effects of fuel scarcity on the network.

The network said: “The scarcity of petroleum products has impacted every sector of the economy and the provision of telecommunications services is no exception. We are however working with partners and doing all that is possible to continue to deliver quality services in spite of the challenge. Such a prolonged situation threatens our ability to re-fuel all our sites and thus negatively impacting service,” reads the Facebook post.

[Image – CC David Becher]