NESREA: Pan African Towers Osun Mast Faces Decommissioning Call

• One House Development Initiative (OHI) has demanded the removal of a Pan African Towers telecom mast near Good Tidings School in Osun State.
• The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) had previously directed the company to decommission the mast or meet regulatory requirements nine months ago.
• NESREA's directive stemmed from Pan African Towers' failure to provide an Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate or Statement and non-compliance with a 10-meter setback rule.
• OHI argues that acquiring adjoining land for the setback is impractical due to surrounding school buildings, residential structures, and a government road.
• The organization insists that the complete removal of the NESREA Pan African Towers Osun mast is the only acceptable resolution to address safety and environmental concerns for 800 pupils and 90 staff.

The continued presence of the mast, despite prior directives, underscores ongoing Pan African Towers compliance issues.

A non-governmental organization, the One House Development Initiative (OHI) in Osun State, has publicly called for the immediate dismantling of a telecommunications mast situated in close proximity to Good Tidings School within the Egbedore Local Government Area. The organization alleges significant breaches of environmental regulations and poses serious questions regarding the safety of the approximately 800 pupils and over 90 staff members at the school. This demand follows a period of nine months since the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) initially instructed Pan African Towers, the reported owner of the NESREA Pan African Towers Osun mast, to either decommission the structure or bring it into compliance with established regulatory standards.

OHI's investigation into the Good Tidings School Egbedore mast was initiated after parents voiced concerns about the structure's location and its potential impact on the well-being of students, staff, and local residents. A team from OHI visited the site and concluded that the installation failed to adhere to the specific telecom mast environmental regulations Nigeria has in place for infrastructure near educational institutions, residential properties, and water sources. The continued presence of the mast, despite prior directives, underscores ongoing Pan African Towers compliance issues.

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency had previously engaged Pan African Towers regarding the installation. A letter, dated January 28, 2026, and referenced NESREA/IEE/4527/T/11, was dispatched to the managing director of Pan African Towers. This correspondence explicitly stated that the company had not furnished an Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate or an Environmental Impact Statement for the facility, indicating a failure to meet applicable guidelines for an Environmental Impact Assessment telecom Nigeria requires.

NESREA's directive mandated the company to either immediately decommission the mast or acquire adjacent land to satisfy the minimum 10-meter setback requirement stipulated by regulations. Furthermore, the agency demanded the submission of all pertinent environmental documentation within 14 days of the letter's receipt. However, as of October 29, 2026, roughly nine months after NESREA issued its decommissioning directive, the mast remains operational at its original location.

The One House Development Initiative highlighted several critical safety concerns stemming from the mast's placement. These include the risk of structural failure during severe weather events like heavy rainfall and windstorms, which could endanger the pupils, staff, and other occupants of the school. Additionally, OHI raised alarms about potential noise and air pollution generated by the machinery powering the facility, warning of adverse health and well-being effects on the school community and nearby residents.

School management had convened meetings to address the issue and formally notified the Local Inspector of Education for the Egbedore Local Government Area. Following this notification, the inspector visited the site and confirmed the reported irregularities. This situation underscores the critical importance for telecommunications companies in Nigeria to rigorously adhere to environmental regulations, particularly those concerning setback requirements and EIA certification, to prevent enforcement actions and public disputes.

OHI has firmly rejected the alternative proposed by NESREA, which suggested acquiring adjoining land to meet the required setback. The organization argues that this option is impractical and unfeasible due to the existing infrastructure surrounding the property. Specifically, school buildings and residential structures occupy the neighboring plots to the east, west, and south, while a government road borders the property to the north. This leaves no practical space to achieve the necessary separation from the school.

Consequently, OHI has declared that it will not support any arrangement that permits the mast to remain at its current disputed location. The organization insists that the complete and immediate removal of the structure is the only acceptable resolution to the ongoing Pan African Towers compliance issues. While expressing a willingness to pursue an amicable resolution, OHI maintains that such a resolution must ultimately lead to the mast's removal.

Compliance officers and legal counsel for telecommunications companies in Nigeria should review their infrastructure's adherence to environmental regulations, particularly setback requirements and EIA certification, to mitigate risks of enforcement actions, forced decommissioning, and public disputes as demonstrated by NESREA's directive to Pan African Towers.

Source: Original reporting via Saturday PUNCH