NCC directs telecos to compensate customers for poor services

The Nigerian Communications Commission has ordered Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers who experience poor network service in areas where performance falls below set standards.

The Commission stressed that customers should not bear the full impact of service failures when telecom operators fail to meet required quality benchmarks.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, affected users will receive direct compensation whenever operators breach Quality of Service (QoS) performance indicators.

The compensation will come in the form of airtime credits, calculated based on users’ average spending and their presence in locations where network failures occur within a given period.

The NCC said the directive is part of a broader effort to strengthen service monitoring and enforce higher performance standards across the telecom sector. It also introduced a more consumer-focused approach, aimed at improving accountability beyond traditional regulatory fines.

In addition, the Commission directed tower companies responsible for telecom infrastructure, such as masts, to invest more in network improvements using funds from fines and other financial penalties.