Nigeria’s Telecom Regulator Orders Telcos to Credit User for Poor Service as Breach Persist

ABUJA, Mar 30 – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed mobile network operators to compensate subscribers experiencing poor service, in a move aimed at tightening consumer protection across the sector.

In a statement issued by its Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said affected users will receive airtime credits where service quality falls below prescribed thresholds in specific locations. The compensation will be calculated based on users’ average spending and their presence in affected Local Government Areas.

The directive targets breaches of Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators, including call drop rates, connection success rates, and network congestion. Operators are required to issue compensation within defined timeframes for each recorded infraction.

At the same time, the Commission has instructed tower companies to channel fines imposed on them into measurable infrastructure upgrades. These firms, which manage telecom masts and critical network assets, are expected to reinvest in capacity expansion and resilience to improve overall service delivery.

The move builds on stricter QoS regulations introduced in 2024, which set performance benchmarks for operators and penalties starting at about N5 million per breach, alongside additional daily fines for continued violations. Earlier this year, the NCC flagged potential penalties of up to N12.4 billion tied to repeated service failures across the industry.

Previous enforcement actions have seen operators including Globacom, Airtel, and IHS Towers fined a combined N45 million for specific infractions.

The Commission said the policy is part of broader efforts to ensure telecom users are not left to absorb the impact of poor service, as demand for reliable voice and data services continues to grow across Nigeria’s digital economy.