NCC Compensates 75m Subscribers, Records 6,500 Interventions Amid Poor Telecom Service

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recorded more than 6,500 network interventions in 2026 as telecommunications operators expanded capacity and upgraded infrastructure to address persistent service quality challenges nationwide.

The commission also disclosed that it had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor network services, while nearly three million others received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases.

The rxecutive vice chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos, where he said the commission was intensifying efforts to hold operators accountable for service delivery.

According to him, the network interventions include equipment upgrades, the deployment of new sites and capacity expansion in locations experiencing increased demand for voice and data services.

Maida, however, maintained that infrastructure expansion must translate into better experiences for consumers, particularly as telecommunications services become increasingly important to businesses, digital payments, education and other economic activities.

“Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place, so our priority remains reducing the failures that make it necessary,” he said.

The figures highlight the continuing challenge facing the telecommunications sector, where operators are investing in network expansion while subscribers still contend with dropped calls, slow internet speeds, unstable data connections and service disruptions.

The commission identified damage to telecommunications infrastructure as one of the factors undermining efforts to improve service quality.

According to the NCC, fibre-optic cable cuts associated with road construction and the theft of equipment, batteries and fuel from telecommunications sites continue to disrupt network operations.

The regulator said damage to infrastructure at individual locations could affect connectivity beyond the immediate area, disrupting businesses and other users dependent on the same network facilities.

It added that it was working with relevant authorities and telecommunications operators to strengthen infrastructure protection and improve coordination around road construction and other activities capable of damaging telecom assets.

The commission also urged communities to report suspected vandalism to the appropriate authorities, warning that protecting existing infrastructure was essential to sustaining improvements from new investments.

Similarly, the regulator said it was working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), telecommunications operators and financial service providers to address failed airtime and data purchases.

Maida said nearly three million subscribers had received refunds under a framework designed to trace failed transactions and ensure consumers recovered their money.

The initiative is intended to reduce instances in which subscribers are referred between banks, payment providers and telecommunications companies without receiving a resolution.

The NCC also disclosed plans to introduce a usage notification guideline to improve transparency in data consumption and billing.

The proposed guideline is expected to provide subscribers with clearer information about daily data usage, remaining balances and detailed consumption records, helping them identify discrepancies and challenge disputed charges.

The commission is also extending the application of its Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), which is designed to address risks associated with recycled telephone numbers and numbers flagged for fraudulent activities.

According to Maida, the system, developed in collaboration with the CBN, would be extended to other sectors where telephone numbers are used to identify customers and facilitate transactions.

The initiative is expected to help organisations identify recycled numbers and reduce the risks of unauthorised access to financial accounts and other services.

At the event, the Executive Director of the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, called for greater transparency in measuring telecommunications service quality.

In a lead paper presented at the parliament, she argued that the performance of the industry should be assessed not only through subscriber growth and network coverage but also through connection reliability, billing transparency and the effectiveness of complaint resolution.

NCC statistics cited in the paper showed that Nigeria had 197.4 million active telephony subscriptions and 158.5 million internet subscriptions in August 2026.

However, the figures represent subscriptions rather than unique individuals and do not necessarily establish the quality of services available in individual communities.

Ndukwe-Okafor proposed that the commission publish more detailed information on local network performance, including dropped-call rates, service interruptions, internet speeds and latency.

She also advocated clearer tariff information, more traceable failed transactions, accessible complaint channels and a public register documenting commitments made at the Telecom Consumer Parliament.

The recommendations included a consumer-experience scorecard covering service quality, billing disputes, refund outcomes, complaint resolution and accessibility.

The proposals are aimed at improving accountability and enabling subscribers to assess whether regulatory interventions are producing tangible benefits.

Meanwhile, for the telecommunications industry, the challenge remains ensuring that investments in network capacity translate into reliable services for consumers, particularly as businesses and individuals increasingly depend on digital connectivity for their daily activities.