FG Clears Air on Telecoms Disruption Amid Protests

Minister Bosun Tijani

FG denies involvement in network tampering...

Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Bosun Tijani, denies government involvement in recent network disruptions, attributing internet connectivity issues to high traffic amid protests. He highlights the need for investments in telecoms infrastructure to improve services.

Minister Bosun Tijani has categorically denied issuing any directives to telecommunication operators to compromise network services amidst the ongoing protests, setting the record straight on Thursday, August 1.

Coincidentally, Nigerians experienced widespread internet connectivity issues on the same day, fueling speculation that the federal government was intentionally restricting access to impede protest efforts. However, Minister Tijani's swift denial has alleviated concerns about government interference in the network disruption.

“There's no instruction to tamper with the network, absolutely no instruction from my office,” he said.

“You also need to understand when you have a significant amount of people not at work, people are online. So you expect the traffic will be extremely high. And I'm not saying that's the cause.

“Our mandate and role as government are not just only to drive these people to be responsive, but also to ensure that there are the proper investments in the infrastructure that we require to produce and provide the quality of service that people need.”

In addition to addressing the network disruption concerns, Minister Tijani acknowledged that Nigeria still grapples with significant challenges in delivering high-quality telecommunications and connectivity services, highlighting the need for ongoing improvements in the sector.

“We need 125,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable lead. We've only invested as a nation, the private sector, 85,000 kilometres,” he added.

“This is the project that this government is prioritising. FEC has already approved this. Unfortunately, it won't be done in six months.”