The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed mobile network operators to compensate subscribers for poor service delivery, in a move aimed at strengthening consumer protection in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Under the new directive, operators that fail to meet approved Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks will be required to compensate affected customers directly, rather than leaving users to bear the impact of service disruptions.
The Commission said compensation will be issued as airtime credits, calculated based on subscribers’ average usage and their presence in affected local government areas during the period of service failure.
According to the NCC, the policy introduces a more consumer-focused accountability system, ensuring that telecom users are directly compensated when operators fall short of performance standards.
The regulator noted that poor network quality can disrupt economic activities, affect businesses, and reduce public confidence in digital services, making reliable telecommunications critical to national development.
In addition, the NCC directed infrastructure providers, including tower companies, to reinvest fines into network upgrades and capacity expansion, while warning that further penalties may be imposed where necessary to ensure compliance.
Writing by Chioma Ezike