The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has recorded more than 6,500 network interventions in 2026 and compensated 75 million subscribers for poor telecommunications services.
The commission also disclosed that nearly three million subscribers had received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos, saying the regulator was intensifying efforts to improve service quality and hold operators accountable.
He said the interventions included equipment upgrades, new telecommunications sites and capacity expansion in areas experiencing increased demand for voice and data services.
Maida stressed that network investments must translate into better consumer experiences, noting that compensation could not make up for lost business opportunities or missed important conversations.
The commission identified fibre-optic cable cuts caused by road construction, as well as the theft of telecommunications equipment, batteries and fuel, as major challenges affecting network performance.
It said it was working with operators and relevant authorities to strengthen infrastructure protection and improve coordination during road construction, while urging communities to report suspected vandalism.
On failed airtime and data transactions, the NCC said it was collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), telecommunications operators and financial service providers to ensure subscribers receive refunds.
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The commission also plans to introduce a usage notification guideline to provide consumers with clearer information on daily data consumption, remaining balances and detailed usage records.
Maida further disclosed that the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), developed with the CBN to address risks associated with recycled telephone numbers and numbers flagged for fraudulent activities, would be extended to other sectors.
The system is expected to help organisations identify recycled numbers and reduce the risk of unauthorised access to financial accounts and other services.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, called for greater transparency in measuring telecommunications service quality.
She argued that industry performance should be assessed not only through subscriber numbers and network coverage but also through connection reliability, billing transparency and complaint resolution.
NCC figures cited in her paper showed that Nigeria had 197.4 million active telephony subscriptions and 158.5 million internet subscriptions in August 2026. The figures represent subscriptions rather than unique individuals.
Ndukwe-Okafor urged the commission to publish more detailed local network performance data, including dropped-call rates, service interruptions, internet speeds and latency.
She also recommended clearer tariff information, accessible complaint channels, improved tracking of failed transactions and a public register of commitments made at the Telecom Consumer Parliament.
Other proposals included a consumer-experience scorecard covering service quality, billing disputes, refunds, complaint resolution and accessibility.
The NCC’s challenge, stakeholders said, remains ensuring that investments and regulatory interventions deliver more reliable telecommunications services for Nigerians and businesses increasingly dependent on digital connectivity.
