Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has refuted claims that he directed telecom companies to disrupt network services amid the nationwide protests that began on August 1.
The denial comes in response to widespread frustration among Nigerians, who reported unusually slow internet speeds from major telecom providers. This led to speculation that the Federal Government might have ordered the disruptions to hinder the protests.
In an interview with Channels Television, Tijani addressed the rumors, stating, “There’s no instruction to tamper with (phone) networks.”
He attributed the slow internet speeds to a surge in online traffic, as many people remained at home due to the ongoing protests.
Tijani added, “You need to understand that when you have a significant number of people not at work, they are online, and so you would expect the traffic to be extremely high. I am not saying that is the cause, as I have not done any technical assessment.”
