NCC Moves to Enforce Operators’ Compliance with Customer Compensation
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced plans to engage independent audit professionals to assess the level of compliance by telecom operators with consumer protection directives, particularly in the area of compensating subscribers for poor-quality service.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Aminu Maida, disclosed this during the NCC’s 2026 media engagement session held in Abuja. He explained that the initiative is aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight and improving service delivery across the telecommunications sector.
According to Maida, the deployment of external verification experts will ensure strict enforcement of recently introduced regulations requiring operators to compensate customers affected by poor voice and data services.
“We will be bringing in external verification experts to confirm that service providers are complying with the established guidelines,” he said.
He further revealed that customer complaints relating to network quality have significantly declined, dropping from 351,000 to 75,000 following the 2025 tariff review.
The NCC boss urged subscribers to take advantage of the Commission’s toll-free complaint channels—300 and 622—as well as its online portal to report service disruptions and access guidance on common telecom-related issues.
Maida stressed that the Commission’s regulatory actions are anchored on transparency and accountability, noting that operators have been provided with clear policy directives to ensure compliance.
On infrastructure protection, he highlighted improved collaboration between the NCC and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which he said has led to a noticeable reduction in fibre optic cable damage, particularly at construction sites in several parts of the country.
He also disclosed that the Commission is intensifying the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) network infrastructure in major cities, alongside efforts to optimise underutilised spectrum resources. Additionally, a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy is currently underway.
While acknowledging that the sector’s performance has yet to fully meet expectations, Maida maintained that measurable progress is being recorded.
Other ongoing initiatives, he said, include resolving outstanding USSD-related debts, enforcing a 24-month compliance timeline for new corporate governance standards among operators, and collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to deepen digital financial inclusion while addressing electronic fraud.
Addressing concerns over harmful online content, Maida stated that the Commission is working closely with relevant government agencies to develop appropriate regulatory interventions.
Earlier in her remarks, the Head of Public Affairs at the NCC, Nnenna Ukoha, described the media stakeholders’ engagement as a strategic platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and strengthened collaboration with the media to enhance resilience and long-term stability in the telecommunications industry.
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