Poor Service: NCC Directs Telcos To Credit Subscribers With Airtime Compensation

According to Ireporter Online, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to compensate subscribers with airtime credits following cases of poor network service across the country.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, made this known on Thursday during a media breakfast meeting in Lagos, stating that the decision was based on verified instances where operators failed to meet the minimum quality-of-service standards in several locations nationwide.

Maida clarified that the directive is not a refund from the regulator but a mandatory compliance requirement for service providers. He explained that affected subscribers would receive airtime credits covering service disruptions recorded between November 2025 and January 2026, adding that beneficiaries would be informed of the reason and value of the compensation.

He further noted that independent verification processes would ensure that all eligible subscribers are properly credited, while warning that sanctions could be imposed on operators that fail to comply with the directive. According to him, the move is aimed at strengthening accountability and restoring consumer confidence in the telecommunications sector.

The NCC boss also revealed that the commission has improved its monitoring framework by shifting performance assessments from state-level tracking to local government areas, a development he said would enable more precise identification of service gaps and outages.

Maida disclosed that telecom operators are expected to upgrade about 12,000 base stations in 2026, noting that only about 300 upgrades were completed in 2025, which contributed to network congestion amid rising data consumption. He added that around 2,800 upgrades have already been completed in early 2026.

He explained that the upgrades include expanding network capacity, deploying new infrastructure, and migrating from 2G and 3G networks to more advanced 4G and 5G technologies. While describing spectrum as the “highways” of telecommunications, Maida said improved allocation has already enhanced data speeds in some areas.

However, he cautioned that better service quality may not immediately translate into improved user experience due to rapidly increasing data usage. “When service improves, usage increases… congestion can return faster than expected if capacity is not continuously expanded,” he said.

Maida also emphasized the importance of sustained investment in fibre infrastructure to ensure affordable and reliable internet access nationwide, adding that the NCC will continue to closely monitor key performance indicators such as data speed and latency.