NCC compensates 75m telecom subscribers over poor service

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has carried out more than 6,500 network interventions and compensated 75 million telecommunications subscribers for poor service in 2026, as it steps up efforts to improve network quality and protect consumers.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos, where he also revealed that nearly three million subscribers had received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases.
The interventions included equipment upgrades and capacity expansion by operators to address persistent complaints about dropped calls, slow internet connections and unreliable services.
Maida said the compensation scheme was designed to ensure subscribers did not bear the full cost of poor network performance under the NCC’s Consumer Compensation Framework.
However, he acknowledged that financial compensation could not reverse the wider consequences of service disruptions, particularly for businesses and individuals who rely on telecommunications for transactions and other essential activities.
“Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place,” he said, adding that the commission’s priority remained reducing the failures that made compensation necessary.
On failed transactions, Maida said the refunds were facilitated through a framework developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, telecommunications operators and financial service providers.
The arrangement is intended to trace failed transactions and speed up refunds, preventing customers from being passed between banks and network providers without resolution.
He said the NCC would continue working with stakeholders to reduce transaction failures and ensure subscribers received their money promptly.
The commission is also encouraging consumers to use coverage maps published on its website to compare network performance in their areas. The maps incorporate crowdsourced data reflecting users’ experiences and are intended to help subscribers make informed choices about service providers.
Maida said operators were expected to address identified network deficiencies, explain major outages and provide information on when affected services would be restored.
He identified vandalism and damage to telecommunications infrastructure as major obstacles to service delivery, citing fibre-optic cable cuts during road construction and the theft of equipment, batteries and fuel from network sites.
Such incidents, he said, could disrupt connectivity across several communities, affecting businesses and individuals far beyond the locations where the damage occurred.
The NCC is working with relevant authorities and telecommunications operators to improve infrastructure protection and coordination during roadworks.
Maida also announced plans to improve transparency in data usage, amid complaints from subscribers about rapid data depletion.
He said a forthcoming usage notification guideline would provide clearer information on daily data consumption, remaining balances and detailed usage breakdowns, while requiring operators to investigate disputed usage fairly and explain their findings.
The commission is also extending the application of its Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System, developed to address risks associated with recycled phone numbers and numbers flagged for fraudulent activities.
According to Maida, the system, which builds on the NCC’s collaboration with the CBN, will be extended to other sectors where phone numbers are used to identify customers and facilitate transactions. It is expected to help organisations identify recycled numbers and reduce the risk of unauthorised access to financial accounts and other services.
He warned consumers against buying counterfeit or substandard mobile devices, batteries and chargers, saying unsafe products could overheat, cause fires and injure users.
The NCC advised prospective buyers to verify devices before payment by dialling *315# and following the prompts, or calling 315 for assistance.
Maida urged subscribers experiencing service problems to first lodge complaints with their providers and obtain reference numbers. If the issues remained unresolved, they could contact the commission through its toll-free line, 622.
He also highlighted the NCC’s Consumer Data Lab, developed in collaboration with Innovations for Poverty Action with funding from the Gates Foundation, as a tool for identifying recurring consumer complaints and assessing the effectiveness of regulatory interventions.
The 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament was held under the theme, “Enhancing Consumer Experience: Strengthening Service Quality and Consumer Protection in Nigeria’s Digital Economy”.
Maida urged telecommunications operators to respond clearly to consumer complaints and honour commitments made at the forum, assuring subscribers that the commission would follow up on issues raised.