NCC: Why We Compensated 75m Subscribers.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says about 75 million telecommunications subscribers have received airtime compensation for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million others have been refunded for failed airtime and data transactions.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this at the 95th edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament held in Lagos on Tuesday.

The forum, themed “Enhancing Consumer Experience: Strengthening Service Quality and Consumer Protection in Nigeria’s Digital Economy,” brought together regulators, telecommunications operators, consumer groups and other stakeholders to address persistent challenges affecting service quality and consumer rights.

Maida said the compensation and refund figures reflected the impact of the Commission’s regulatory interventions but stressed that preventing service failures remained more important than compensating subscribers after disruptions.

“Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place,” he said.

According to him, more than 6,500 network interventions had been carried out nationwide in 2026, including technology upgrades and capacity expansion in areas experiencing increased demand.

He said the interventions were designed to improve call reliability and internet connectivity, adding that operators were being monitored and required to take corrective measures when they failed to meet prescribed service standards.

The NCC chief also directed telecommunications operators to provide subscribers with clear information during major network outages, including the causes of disruptions and expected restoration times.

He attributed some service disruptions to the vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure and damage to fibre-optic cables during road construction.

Maida said the Commission was working with relevant authorities and network operators to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure, urging Nigerians to report suspected vandalism and infrastructure damage.

NCC Moves to Improve Transparency in Data Billing

Addressing concerns over data consumption and billing, Maida said the Commission’s tariff simplification measures were intended to help consumers understand the prices, data allowances and validity periods of bundles before making purchases.

He also announced plans to introduce a usage notification guideline to provide subscribers with clearer information about daily data consumption, remaining balances and detailed usage patterns.

The proposed guideline is expected to help consumers monitor their data usage and challenge discrepancies, while requiring operators to investigate disputed usage and provide explanations.

On failed airtime and data transactions, Maida said the NCC had collaborated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, telecommunications operators and financial service providers to establish a framework for tracing failed transactions and ensuring timely refunds.

The framework is intended to prevent consumers who have been debited without receiving purchased services from being passed between banks and telecom operators without a resolution.

NCC to Expand Telephone Number Fraud Prevention System

Maida also highlighted the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), designed to address risks associated with recycled telephone numbers and numbers linked to fraudulent activities.

He said the Commission planned to expand the system’s use across sectors where telephone numbers serve as identifiers for customers and transactions, building on its collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The system is expected to help organisations identify recycled telephone numbers and those flagged for fraud, reducing the risk of unauthorised access to individuals’ accounts and services.

The NCC also advised Nigerians to verify mobile devices before purchasing them, warning that counterfeit and substandard phones, batteries and chargers could expose consumers to financial and safety risks.

Maida advised prospective buyers to dial *315# and follow the prompts, or call 315 for assistance, to confirm a device’s approval and verification status before purchase.

He urged subscribers experiencing service-related problems to first lodge complaints with their network providers and obtain complaint reference numbers. Where complaints remain unresolved, consumers can escalate them to the NCC through its toll-free line, 622.

Consumer Advocates Demand Greater Accountability

Earlier, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the Telecom Consumer Parliament was established to address recurring challenges, including poor network quality, unclear billing, failed transactions and delays in resolving consumer complaints.

She said the forum was expected to produce practical commitments, assign responsibilities and generate actions that consumers could observe in their everyday use of telecommunications services.

Makama stressed that reliable connectivity, transparent billing and accessible complaint-resolution mechanisms were essential to building consumer confidence as Nigeria’s digital economy continued to expand.

In a lead paper, the Executive Director of the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), Professor Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, argued that the performance of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector should not be measured by subscription figures alone.

Citing NCC industry statistics for August 2026, she said Nigeria had 197.4 million active telephony subscriptions and 158.5 million internet subscriptions.

However, she cautioned that subscription figures did not necessarily represent individual users and could not independently establish whether consumers were receiving reliable connectivity, transparent billing or effective complaint resolution.

Ndukwe-Okafor called for the publication of more detailed information on network performance, billing disputes, failed transactions and complaint-resolution outcomes.

She proposed a public action register to track commitments made at the Telecom Consumer Parliament, identifying responsible agencies, implementation deadlines and progress.

Other recommendations included standardised, plain-language information on tariffs and data bundles, improved tracking of failed transactions involving banks and telecommunications operators, and more accessible complaint channels for older persons and people living with disabilities.

She further proposed that the NCC publish an initial consumer-experience progress scorecard within six months, covering service quality, refunds and complaint-resolution outcomes.

The consumer advocate said consumer protection should ultimately be measured by whether complaints were genuinely resolved and appropriate remedies delivered, rather than simply by the number of complaints recorded as closed.

The 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament ended with stakeholders reaffirming the need for stronger accountability, improved service quality and more effective consumer protection across Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

Why It Matters

The compensation of 75 million subscribers highlights the scale of service-quality challenges facing Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

Beyond airtime refunds, the NCC’s planned data-usage notifications, failed-transaction tracking and expanded telephone identity risk management could strengthen consumer protection. However, sustained progress will depend on measurable improvements in network reliability, transparent billing and timely complaint resolution.