Nigerian telcos compensate 75 million subscribers for poor network quality

Nigeria's telecom operators have compensated more than 75 million subscribers for substandard network services, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This marks one of the largest consumer redress exercises in Africa's largest mobile market.

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The board noted substantial progress in the implementation of the commission’s directive, particularly the full compliance, which has resulted in compensation being offered to over 75 million affected subscribers.

The NCC's board noted substantial progress in implementing a directive issued in March 2026, which mandated operators to automatically issue airtime credits to affected customers. The compensation was calculated based on average customer spending in areas where service quality fell below regulatory benchmarks.

The exercise is part of a broader effort to enforce quality-of-service obligations amid persistent consumer complaints about dropped calls, slow data speeds, and inconsistent coverage. While operators have reported compliance, the NCC is conducting independent validation to confirm that all eligible subscribers have been compensated.

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The board further acknowledged ongoing efforts to independently validate operators’ claims and ensure all eligible subscribers receive compensation due to them, while encouraging consumers to continue their engagement with the commission.

The commission also reviewed compliance by infrastructure providers, particularly tower companies, which were directed to reinvest regulatory fines into network upgrades. Compliance has been partial, and the NCC emphasized the need for full adherence to realize sustainable infrastructure improvements.

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While noting the progress made to date, the board emphasised the importance of full compliance to ensure that the intended infrastructure improvements are realised sustainably.