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The Nigerian Communications Commission has directed Mobile Network Operators to compensate subscribers in areas where network quality falls below prescribed standards.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of Public Affairs at the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha.

The directive comes as part of efforts to strengthen consumer protection and ensure that telecom users are not left to bear the impact of poor service delivery.

According to the Commission, affected subscribers will receive compensation in the form of airtime credits.

The Commission’s position is that subscribers should not be made to bear the full burden of service disruptions where operators fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery.

The Commission also directed Tower Companies to reinvest fines imposed on them into infrastructure improvements.

The NCC explained that the directive is part of its broader regulatory approach aimed at placing consumers at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.

It noted that telecommunications services play a critical role in economic activities, social interaction, and access to digital opportunities.

The regulator added that the compensation policy is designed to complement existing measures to monitor service quality and enforce performance standards across the sector.

The Commission said it will continue to enforce compliance by requiring operators to invest in network resilience, expand capacity, and upgrade infrastructure to meet growing demand.

Nigeria’s telecom sector has faced persistent complaints over poor network quality, dropped calls, and slow data speeds. As a result of this, the NCC intensified efforts to strengthen service quality monitoring and enforce performance standards across the telecom sector.

Earlier enforcement actions included fines imposed on operators such as Globacom, Airtel, and IHS Towers, which were penalised a combined N45 million for specific infractions.