May 11, 2026
  • May 11, 2026
Breaking News
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Minister wants NCC to act decisively on poor telephone services
May 10, 2026

Minister wants NCC to act decisively on poor telephone services

By Upfrontdigital News 0 14 Views

By Favour Unukaso

NIGERIA’s telecommunications operators have come under intense pressure as the Federal Government has laid down a clear mandate for improved service delivery.

   Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, declared that the era of excuses is over, insisting that the conditions for better service have now been established.

   Tijani, who stated this in a notice posted on X, Sunday, said the government has already secured World Bank-led funding for Project BRIDGE, a nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure rollout, alongside new towers under NUCAP and expanded satellite capability.

   These investments, he said are expected to transform connectivity within two to five years, will ensure that Nigerians, from small business owners to households, can access reliable, high-speed Internet without depending solely on unstable mobile connections.

   According to him, at the same time, immediate stabilization measures have been introduced, including tariff adjustments, tax harmonization, and the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national assets. He added that broader reforms such as the floating of the naira and removal of fuel subsidies have created a more transparent, market-driven environment, restoring profitability to operators.

   With profitability restored, the Minister stressed that responsibility now lies squarely with MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and 9mobile to fix lingering network challenges.

  “The conditions required for improved service delivery have now been established. It is now the responsibility of telecom operators to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect,” Tijani said.

   He disclosed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been empowered to enforce service standards without interference, relying on periodic reports and citizen feedback to hold operators accountable.

   The Minister said Nigerians should expect measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage in the coming months.

   According to him, where operators deliver, the government promises recognition, where they fail, the NCC is expected to act decisively.

    Tijani stressed: “Nigerians should begin to see improvements in Quality of Service and get value that they paid for now, and in the future. And we will ensure that the sector delivers.”

    Amid the fresh pressure by the Federal Government, Nigeria has entered the Compensation Era for poor telephone services, which the NCC has activated.

    Telecom subscribers have started receiving airtime refunds as compensation for poor service experienced between November 2025 and January 2026. The refunds started April 24, with subscribers receiving as low as N20 and as much as N1000, and which is based on the particular local government area, the service disruption was observed.

   The NCC said operators failed to meet required performance benchmarks in several parts of the country following a March 29, 2026, directive.

    The NCC also directed tower companies responsible for many of the outages to channel their compensation obligations into upgrading tower infrastructure. These investments, separate from their yearly capital plans, will be monitored by independent auditors to ensure compliance.

    NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, unlike previous enforcement approaches, which assessed service quality at the state level, the NCC said it has shifted to a more granular system. He said performance is now measured at the local government level, allowing the regulator to better capture variations in network experience across the country.

   “What we have now adopted is to carry out the assessment at local government levels,” Maida said. “This ensures that whatever we measure is as close as possible to what subscribers actually experience.”

   Under this framework, operators are evaluated across multiple network layers—2G, 3G, and 4G—against key performance indicators set out in the commission’s quality of service regulations. Where operators fall short, penalties are imposed, part of which is now being redirected as compensation to affected users.

 

 

  BroadbandFeatured PostsIT NewsLatest NewsTelecomsTop Stories
Related Posts
May 8, 2026

Airtel Africa posts $813m profit as subscribers scale to 183m

May 8, 2026

Lagos telecom infrastructure cleanup begins May 12

May 7, 2026

Urban centres face more telephone service congestions as digital divide narrows

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *