House of Reps Issues 7-Day Ultimatum to MTN, Airtel, Globacom Over Poor Network

• The House of Representatives summoned four major telecom operators to appear before its ad hoc committee within seven days
• The move followed the operators' failure to honour earlier invitations from the committee probing poor service quality
• NCC revealed that 75 million subscribers were compensated for poor network services as regulators push for greater accountability

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.

The House of Representatives has issued a seven-day ultimatum to MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and Mafab Communications Ltd, ordering them to appear before its ad hoc committee investigating the deteriorating quality of telecommunications services across the country.

Lawmakers directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enforce compliance after the telecom operators failed to honour earlier invitations to explain the declining standard of their services.

Why lawmakers are stepping in

Olumide Osoba, chairman of the House committee, told the investigative hearing that mobile connectivity had grown beyond basic voice calls and internet browsing to become a backbone of commercial activity in Nigeria, particularly Point of Sale (POS) transactions.

He said banks, companies and other critical institutions depended heavily on reliable telecommunications infrastructure, making the decline in service quality a matter of national concern, Leadership reports.

The summons came shortly after NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr Aminu Maida disclosed that 75 million subscribers across Nigeria had received compensation for poor network services.

Maida disclosed this on Tuesday, October 20, at the 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos. He also said nearly three million subscribers had received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases.

He added that telecom operators carried out more than 6,500 network interventions in 2026, covering equipment upgrades, the deployment of new sites and capacity expansion in high-demand areas.

NCC plans tougher rules for operators

Despite the interventions, Maida acknowledged that compensation alone could not undo the harm caused by poor service.

Fibre-optic cable cuts during road construction, as well as the theft of equipment, batteries and fuel from telecom sites, have remained significant obstacles to reliable service delivery.

The NCC said it was working with relevant authorities to protect telecommunications infrastructure and reduce disruptions.

Maida said:

"Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place, so our priority remains reducing the failures that make it necessary."

Punch reports that the commission also plans to introduce new rules requiring operators to provide subscribers with clearer data usage notifications, including daily consumption updates, remaining balance alerts and detailed usage records.

The proposed rules are designed to help consumers identify discrepancies in their data usage and challenge disputed charges.

NCC to block unapproved phones

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the NCC has warned that unapproved mobile phones and other non-compliant devices may be blocked from accessing Nigerian mobile networks, including those operated by MTN, Airtel and Glo.

The commission urged consumers to verify the approval status of their devices before buying them, particularly second-hand phones and devices imported from abroad.

In its device verification guidelines, the NCC explained that communications devices must meet applicable technical standards and receive the required type approval before they can be sold or used in Nigeria.