The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers wherever network performance falls below regulatory standards, signaling that poor service will no longer be tolerated.
In a statement on Sunday, the Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, explained that affected subscribers will receive airtime credits whenever service delivery fails to meet prescribed quality of service benchmarks.
The commission noted that compensation will be calculated based on users’ average spending patterns and their presence in specific areas where service lapses occur.
The NCC said the directive reflects a fundamental shift in regulatory approach, placing consumers at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.
“Subscribers should not be made to bear the burden of poor service delivery,” the Commission stated.
It added that operators will now be held directly accountable for breaches of quality of service standards, including dropped call rates, network congestion, and call setup failures.
The country’s top mobile network operators are MTN Nigeria, which is the top operator by market share, followed by Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo) and T2.
The Commission is also tightening oversight of tower companies, requiring them to reinvest fines into infrastructure upgrades, as persistent gaps, such as limited base stations and unreliable power supply, continue to undermine network quality nationwide.
Nigeria’s telecom sector, with over 220 million subscriptions and nearly 14% of GDP contribution, continues to face criticism for unreliable connectivity, as broadband penetration lags national targets and network congestion worsens in cities like Lagos and Abuja.
The directive builds on the NCC’s 2024 quality of service rules, with penalties from ₦5 million ($3,300) per infraction and cumulative fines up to ₦12.4 billion ($8.3 million), as Minister Bosun Tijani stresses reliable connectivity is key for economic growth and digital inclusion through initiatives like Project BRIDGE and 3MTT.
The NCC’s directive makes clear that as Nigeria deepens its digital transformation, accountability for service quality is non-negotiable, with tangible consequences for operators who fail to meet standards.
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