Reps Summon MTN, Airtel, Glo CEOs Over Poor Services In Nigeria

Naija News reports that the lawmakers took the decision on Wednesday after rejecting the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, whom the companies sent to represent them.

The House ad hoc committee investigating the quality of telecom services, chaired by Olumide Osoba, directed the chief executives and other top officials of the companies to appear before it on November 4, 2026.

The affected operators include MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other licensed companies.

The move did not go down well with the lawmakers, who insisted that each company must answer questions about its operations.

Moving a motion on the matter, Rep. Sunday Umeha said each telecom operator held a separate licence from the Federal Government and should not use its membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the committee.

He also faulted a letter from ALTON which, according to him, questioned the committee’s authority to invite the operators.

“I was shocked with what I saw in the letter. I saw a situation where ALTON is saying that they are not bound to appear before this committee. They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation,” Umeha said.

The lawmaker cited Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, arguing that the National Assembly had the power to investigate matters within its legislative duties, including the implementation of government policies affecting telecommunications.

He said the committee could insist that the companies appear individually rather than accept a representative sent through their association.

A representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) told the committee that the commission had communicated the invitations directly to the chief executives.

Umeha said the lawmakers had considered ordering the arrest of the executives at their previous sitting but decided to give them another opportunity to appear.

He argued that the companies had failed to take advantage of that opportunity despite further communication through the NCC.

Rotimi also raised concerns about network coverage and security in parts of his constituency in Ekiti State.

He alleged that two traditional rulers in the area had been killed in an ambush along a road where mobile network signals were unavailable for about 20 minutes.

The lawmaker criticised telecom operators for concentrating infrastructure in areas where they could make more money while leaving some communities with poor or no network coverage.

During the session, the lawmakers also questioned Adebayo about a reported ₦8.46 billion fine imposed on Globacom. They asked whether he could adequately answer questions about the operations of individual companies.

After the debate, committee chairman Osoba put Umeha’s motion to a voice vote, and members supported it. The committee then adjourned until November 4.

Naija News understands that the investigation follows continued complaints from Nigerians about dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime and data transactions, and poor network coverage.

The commission also said it had carried out more than 6,500 network interventions during the year.

Despite these efforts, the four major operators recorded 413,587 consumer complaints in the first half of 2026.

Airtel accounted for 228,992 complaints, followed by MTN with 124,405, Globacom with 56,810 and T2mobile with 3,885.

The operators reportedly resolved 406,938 of the complaints, but concerns about the quality of services have continued.

Copy link Copied! Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Telegram Follow Naija News on Google Author: Richard Ogunsile Journalist & Media Enthusiast | Web & Graphics Designer | Content Creator | Entrepreneur | Passionate about stories that inspire and services that solve problems. Also gospel music Minister, Coach and Sportsman. Contact: [email protected]

News 1 day ago We Are Not Stealing Your Data – MTN Tells Nigerians Why Their Data Finishes Fast News 1 week ago Reps Orders Probe Into NYSC Member’s Death At Enugu Camp News 2 weeks ago Reps Probe Alleged Land Grabbing, Intimidation Of Villagers In Imo News 2 weeks ago Tinubu Seeks Reps’ Approval For Two New Bills News 3 weeks ago MTN Confirms Network Outage Across Nigeria [See Affected States] News 3 weeks ago Reps Panel Asks INEC To Disqualify Candidates Missing From Party Registers Comment *