Whispers are rippling through Nigeria’s telecom scene: Pan African Towers (PAT), the homegrown heavyweight that’s been building digital bridges since 2017, might be on the auction block.

Sources close to the deal, speaking off the record to Freelanews, say the company’s private equity owners; Development Partners International (DPI) and Verod Capital, are quietly shopping it around, looking to cash in on PAT’s clout in a market desperate for more cell towers.

The buzz comes hot on the heels of a failed joint venture bid with Eastcastle Infrastructure earlier this year and a bold management buyout in November 2023 that saw DPI and Verod scoop up a 99% stake (DPI with 67%, Verod with 32%) through PAT Holdings Limited.

Word on the street is the deal could peg PAT’s value in the hundreds of millions, given its nearly 1,000 towers dotting Nigeria.

“They’re feeling out buyers for a clean exit,” one top executive close to the deal spilled. “It could sell to the highest bidder if the right offer is on the table.”

Nigeria’s telecom sector is a pressure cooker, needing 70,000 to 80,000 more towers to roll out 4G and 5G properly, according to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

PAT, born in 2017 as a scrappy Nigerian answer to global giants like IHS Towers and American Tower Corporation, has been a standout, leasing space to heavyweights like MTN, Airtel, and Glo.

In eight years, it’s racked up over 1,200 tenants through savvy colocation deals, riding the wave of Nigeria’s data-hungry consumers.

Earlier this year, PAT reportedly cozied up to Eastcastle Infrastructure, a pan-African player backed by the International Finance Corporation and African Infrastructure Investment Managers.

The plan? A joint venture to crank out more towers. But talks fizzled; some say over price tags, others point to clashing visions and process misalignments. Neither side is talking, leaving the rumor mill to churn.

Rewind to November 2023, when DPI and Verod’s buyout was the talk of the town.

Enter India’s Indus Towers, the world’s third-biggest tower operator with over 251,000 sites, which just threw its hat in the African ring this September.

Backed by Bharti Airtel; a major PAT client, Indus is eyeing Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia.

“PAT’s been a steady player since 2017; it’s a perfect springboard for Indus,” a telecom insider told Freelanews.

When reached for comment, PAT, DPI, and Verod stayed mum. A Verod rep doubled down on their “commitment to Africa’s infrastructure,” but the silence speaks volumes.

With mobile data use set to skyrocket fourfold by 2030, PAT’s next move, whether it’s a blockbuster sale, a new alliance, or going it alone, could reshape Nigeria’s digital future.

Dangote Refinery’s fleet of newly acquired Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks has officially kicked off product loading at its facility in Lagos.

On Monday, the trucks began taking turns at the gantry to load petroleum products for direct supply to filling stations across Nigeria.

The move follows the refinery’s August announcement that it had received the first batch of its 4,000 CNG-powered trucks—part of a fuel distribution programme valued at over ₦720 billion.

During a courtesy visit by the AfricaRice Centre on Sunday, Aliko Dangote explained that the direct distribution system was designed to reduce dependence on third-party carriers and cut out unnecessary costs.

“Losing ₦75 per litre to intermediaries who cannot guarantee delivery is not a viable option. We are committed to ensuring petroleum products get to Nigerians transparently and affordably,” the refinery said in a statement.

This rollout comes amid recent criticism from the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), who accused Dangote Refinery of offering cheaper rates to international buyers while quoting higher prices to local offtakers. Dangote has denied this, stressing that bypassing costly Single Point Mooring (SPM) systems will save the economy about ₦1.5 trillion annually.

Beyond costs, the 4,000 CNG trucks project aims to:

• Lower logistics expenses in fuel distribution
• Cut environmental impact compared to diesel trucking
• Support over 42 million MSMEs by reducing energy costs

With this launch, the refinery is positioning itself not just as a supplier, but also as a distributor—reshaping how fuel reaches Nigerian consumers.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revoked the operating licence of Oritsemeyin Rig and directed it to cease all operations upon the completion of its current well operations.

The notice is contained in a letter dated September 11, 2025, addressed to Selective Marine Services Limited (SMSL) and signed by the Commission Chief Executive, Engineer Gbenga Komolafe.

The NUPRC said in a statement on Friday 12 September, 2025 that the decision followed a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the drilling of UDIBE-2 wellbore during which a kick was recorded, resulting in several Non-Productive Time (NPT) with consequential cost and a forced well sidetrack.

A kick on an oil rig is the unwanted flow of formation fluids (oil, gas, or water) into the wellbore due to a temporary pressure imbalance, where the pressure inside the wellbore becomes lower than the formation pressure. This phenomenon, if left unmanaged, can lead to a potentially catastrophic uncontrolled release of fluids called a blowout.

Subsequently, the NUPRC in accordance with Section 97 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, issued a formal notice of culpability via a letter dated June 5, 2025 with a timeline of 21 days followed by a reminder dated July 9, 2025 to ensure an amicable resolution which was not achieved even beyond the stipulated time.

“Consequent upon the forgoing and pursuant to the relevant powers conferred on the commission under the extant Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the annual licence to operate granted to Selective Marine Services Limited for the Oritsemeyin Rig is hereby revoked,” the commission stated.

The upstream regulator also disqualified the Oritsemeyin Rig from all renewal protocols in strict compliance with the applicable provisions of the law forthwith.

The NUPRC noted that this action is in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 which empowers the commission to ensure compliance with good oilfield and international best industry practices, operational safety and optimization as well as promote technical excellence and preserve commercial and environmental sustainability.