Nigeria’s telecom sector is running on fumes, literally. In this Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS feature, REMMY NWEKE, warns that chronic power shortages and dependence on generators threaten broadband goals, competitiveness, and digital transformation unless energy and telecom policies align urgently for sustainability.
The Nigeria’s chronic electricity shortages have moved beyond households and factories to become a direct bottleneck for the nation’s telecommunications sector with operators now being forced to run thousands of generators daily to keep base stations and data centres functional.
Recently, I found myself inside a multi-storied shopping complex buzzing with activity. The building was home to laptop shops, phone sales and repair centres, and accessories vendors, an ecosystem of Nigeria’s thriving tech economy. Yet, beneath the hum of commerce was another, more unsettling sound: the deafening roar of generators.
The noise was overwhelming, like a thousand engines competing for dominance. One out of every five shops had turned to gas-powered generators, while the rest clung to the more familiar diesel units. In that moment, it struck me: Nigeria’s quest for a digital economy still rests on shaky ground. The greatest stumbling block remains what it has always been, power supply.
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