The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says about 75 million telecommunications subscribers received airtime compensation for poor service in 2026, while nearly 3 million others were 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 discuss persistent service-quality challenges and consumer protection in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Maida said that the compensation and refund figures demonstrated the impact of the Commission’s regulatory interventions. However, he stressed that preventing service failures was more important than compensating subscribers after disruptions had occurred.
“Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place,” he said.
According to him, the Commission carried out more than 6,500 network interventions nationwide in 2026, including technology upgrades and capacity expansion in areas experiencing increased demand.
He said that the interventions were aimed at improving call reliability and internet connectivity, adding that telecommunications operators were being monitored and required to implement corrective measures whenever they failed to meet prescribed service standards.
The NCC chief also directed operators to provide subscribers with clear information during major network outages, including the causes of disruptions and expected restoration times.
He attributed some service interruptions to the vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure and damage to fibre-optic cables during road construction.
Maida said that the Commission was collaborating with relevant authorities and network operators to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure. He urged Nigerians to report suspected vandalism and damage to telecommunications facilities.
Addressing concerns about data consumption and billing, Maida said that the Commission’s tariff simplification measures were designed 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 their daily data consumption, remaining balances and detailed usage patterns.
The proposed guideline is expected to help consumers monitor their data usage, identify possible discrepancies and challenge disputed charges.
It would also require operators to investigate disputed data consumption and explain the basis of their billing to affected subscribers.
On failed airtime and data transactions, Maida said that the NCC had worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), telecommunications operators and financial service providers to establish a framework for tracing failed transactions and ensuring timely refunds.
The framework is intended to address situations in which customers are debited for services they do not receive and subsequently struggle to obtain refunds because banks and telecommunications operators shift responsibility between themselves.
Maida also highlighted the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), which is designed to address risks associated with recycled telephone numbers and numbers linked to fraudulent activities.
He said that the Commission planned to expand the system’s application across sectors where telephone numbers are used to identify customers and authenticate transactions, building on its collaboration with the CBN.
The system is expected to help organisations identify recycled numbers and those flagged for fraudulent activities, thereby 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 losses 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.
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.
GIK/APA