Telecommunications operators in Nigeria will now be required to compensate subscribers with airtime credits for service disruptions under a new consumer protection framework introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The regulator said compensation would be issued automatically to affected users in areas experiencing network failures, marking a shift toward stricter enforcement of quality-of-service obligations across the industry.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Head of Public Affairs at the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha, said affected users will receive airtime credits calculated based on their average spending patterns and their presence within local government areas where service failures occur.
“Subscribers should not be made to bear the full burden of service disruptions where operators fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery,” she said.
The NCC explained that the move is part of its broader consumer-focused regulatory philosophy, aimed at placing subscribers at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.
“Telecommunications services today underpin economic activity, social interaction, and access to digital opportunities. When service quality is poor, the consequences affect productivity, commercial activities, and even public confidence in our communications system,” the regulator stated.
The commission also directed tower companies, which own critical infrastructure such as masts, to reinvest fines levied against them into measurable infrastructure improvements to strengthen network performance.
“The commission will continue to reinforce the obligation of operators to invest consistently in network resilience, capacity expansion, and infrastructure upgrades to meet the growing demand for telecommunications services,” it said.
The regulator noted that it will continue deploying regulatory tools to promote fairness, transparency, and accountability, ensuring subscribers receive the quality of service they deserve.
“Further to this directive, the commission is also mandating tower companies to invest in infrastructure with measurable outcomes using sums that it has fined these companies, in addition to other financial fines the commission will deem appropriate,” the statement added.
Nigeria’s telecom networks experienced significant outages in 2026, tracked via the NCC’s Uptime Portal, with fibre cuts dominating disruptions. Major operators like MTN, Airtel, T2Mobile, and ISPs such as BCN faced widespread issues, affecting services across multiple states.
Nigeria recorded 238 network outages, a 101.7 per cent rise from December 2025. Fibre cuts caused 67.6 per cent (161 cases) and power outages 18.5 per cent (44), with BCN hit hardest (188 cases), followed by MTN (75). Disruptions affected Abia, Cross River, Enugu, Lagos, and other states, with repair times taking up to six days.
Fibre cuts surged 900 per cent to 40 in January, continuing into February with 18 more by mid-month, totalling 58 in early 2026. Over 90 per cent occurred in Abuja, with additional cases in Lagos, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, and Abia; operators affected included BCN, T2Mobile, Airtel, and MTN.
