14 September 2023
The Oyo government in Nigeria has sealed telecommunications pylons in Ibadan, the state capital. The government said that the companies that own the infrastructure have not paid taxes linked to land use.
The telecom operators concerned were not specified. However, the execution team of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development claims to have warned them before taking action.
This initiative by the Oyo government is part of the strict implementation of state policies. Some commercial banks have also had their premises sealed. In March 2022, Kogi State took a similar initiative against Globacom Nigeria and Airtel Networks in its territory for non-payment of tax obligations amounting to N360,035,000.
With the closure of the sites housing the pylons, the operators' technicians will not be able to carry out the necessary upkeep and maintenance work which could lead to degradation of the quality of telecom services provided in Ibadan and surrounding areas. The reopening of the facilities is conditional on the payment by the companies concerned of the land use tax due.
