The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated its stance on telephone service quality in the country, insisting that telecom operators will be held accountable for every drop in service quality. This is even as it appeals to the about 184 million active subscribers (as of February 2026) to exercise patience with the sector.

The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, stated this in Lagos, yesterday, when, alongside the Board Chairman, Idris Olorunnimbe, visited some members of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), including the MTN office, Airtel Data Centre, Glo Switching Station and WIOCC Open Data Centre.

Maida appreciated the efforts of the operators thus far but demanded more strategies for improving telephone service quality in Nigeria.

He reiterated: “Telecom operators will be held more accountable in this dispensation. We need to build more trust in the system. Customers must trust the system.”

While appreciating the level of investments deployed so far, which, according to him, aided in improving services to an extent, Maida informed that the sector still needs investments to extend services to unserved and underserved places in the country.

On his part, Olorunnimbe drew the attention of the telcos to what he described as burning issues, that is, poor services and data depletion.

While emphasising that data doesn’t disappear without a purpose, the NCC chairman called for more subscriber sensitisation.

“Every morning, I wake up to two major complaints: poor telephone services and disappearing data.

“As much as I know, data doesn’t just disappear on someone’s phone because there are triggers. As such, telcos need to increase or deepen the education and awareness on what triggers data loss on the phone and what can be done to guard against such.”
At Airtel Data Centre, Maida commended a series of investments by operators but demanded more.

“This is not my first facility tour, but it is the first time the public will see this level of engagement. I must say I’m impressed.

“We understand that Nigerians are yearning for better services, and improved service requires strong infrastructure. While we are not yet where we want to be, what I’ve seen today (yesterday) reassures me that operators are continuing to invest significantly.

“I appeal to Nigerians to be a little more patient as these investments mature, so we can effectively address infrastructure deficits and improve service delivery,” he stated.

Regarding the directive for telecom operators to compensate subscribers for poor service, the NCC EVC said: “Yes, that directive still stands. There has been no change.

“We believe it is only fair that subscribers are compensated where service falls short. That said, operators have made progress, and service has improved based on available data.

“However, demand is growing faster than infrastructure expansion. So, again, Nigerians need to exercise some patience. From what I’ve seen, I’m confident that this gap will soon be closed.”

On his part, NCC Chairman said the infrastructure observed is comparable to what one would find anywhere in the world, stressing that Nigeria is not behind, and with the planned expansions, “we will remain competitive globally.”

Speaking on improving services during the Easter break, Olorunnimbe said: “Dropped calls are not deliberate. They are usually caused by issues such as fibre cuts, vandalism, or attacks on telecom infrastructure.

“However, we’ve seen data showing a significant reduction in such incidents, and this will continue as the Critical National Infrastructure programme expands.”

He revealed that the Commission is introducing an accountability framework. “Anyone who damages telecom infrastructure will be responsible for fixing it. This will encourage more caution during construction activities.

“Let me also add that dropped calls are not in the interest of network operators. Reliable service means longer usage, which benefits them financially. So, they are equally committed to minimising disruptions.”

On his part, ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, appreciated the leadership of the NCC.