Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers in areas experiencing substandard network quality, marking a significant shift toward stricter consumer protection in the sector.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha.
Under the new policy, telecom operators will be required to provide compensation in the form of airtime credits to affected users where service delivery falls below prescribed Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks.
According to the NCC, the compensation will be calculated based on subscribers’ average spending patterns and their presence within specific Local Government Areas where service failures are recorded.
The Commission emphasised that consumers should not bear the consequences of poor service delivery when operators fail to meet regulatory standards.
“Mobile Network Operators shall compensate affected users directly for breaches of Quality of Service Key Performance Indicators within specified time frames,” the statement noted.
The policy also extends to infrastructure providers. Tower companies—responsible for telecom masts and other critical assets—have been mandated to reinvest fines imposed on them into measurable infrastructure improvements aimed at enhancing service delivery.
The NCC explained that the move is part of a broader regulatory framework designed to place consumers at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.
Telecommunications services, the Commission noted, are essential to economic productivity, business operations, and social connectivity. Persistent network issues, therefore, have far-reaching consequences, including reduced commercial efficiency and declining public confidence in digital systems.
The regulator added that it will intensify enforcement by ensuring operators invest in network resilience, expand capacity, and upgrade infrastructure to meet increasing demand across the country.
