The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, says a new consumer compensation framework for poor telecom service will take effect in April 2026. The regulator said mobile network operators must compensate affected subscribers where service quality falls below prescribed thresholds in specific locations.
Under the framework, compensation will apply to voice, SMS and data service failures. The NCC said the compensation will be issued as airtime credit, calculated from subscribers’ average spending patterns and their presence in affected local government areas during the period of service failure.
The commission said eligibility will be limited to subscribers who experienced poor network service in an affected local government area and made at least one billed outgoing activity during the relevant period. That activity may be a call, SMS or data session. The framework covers both individual and corporate subscribers.
The NCC said subscribers will not need to apply for compensation. According to the regulator, operators are required to identify affected users automatically and provide the compensation directly.
It added that only service failures that fall below the benchmarks in its Quality of Service Regulations will qualify. The commission said short or isolated interruptions, or disruptions that were quickly remedied, may not be eligible.
The policy follows an earlier NCC directive requiring mobile operators to compensate subscribers in areas where network quality falls below standard. The regulator said the move is part of a broader push to strengthen consumer protection and improve accountability across Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
