Reps Give Telecom CEOs 7 Days To Explain Poor Network Service

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the persistent poor quality of telecommunications services in Nigeria has given chief executive officers (CEOs) of major telecom operators seven days to appear before it and explain the worsening network services across the country.

The committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Ogun State, is investigating recurring complaints from subscribers and seeking to establish the reasons for poor service delivery.

Osoba said reliable telecommunications services were essential to Nigeria’s economy, as businesses, financial transactions and everyday communication depend heavily on them.

He faulted telecom operators for sending junior officials to meetings or offering excuses instead of allowing their chief executives to answer questions about network failures and other operational challenges.

Another member of the committee, Ibe Osonwa, condemned the companies for failing to honour the House’s invitations despite the revenue they generate from Nigeria.

Osonwa insisted that telecom operators must be held accountable for the quality of services they provide and warned that the House would not allow the companies to frustrate the investigation.

The ultimatum comes amid persistent complaints from subscribers over poor network services.

On October 20, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) disclosed that telecom operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million others received refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.

The commission also said it had carried out more than 6,500 network improvement activities during the year, including equipment upgrades and network capacity expansion.

The concerns followed a disruption experienced by MTN subscribers on October 8 in parts of Lagos, Oyo, Rivers and Delta states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The disruption reportedly lasted more than five hours, leaving some customers unable to make calls or complete transactions.

NCC figures showed that the four major telecom operators received 413,587 consumer complaints in the first half of 2026.

Airtel recorded 228,992 complaints, MTN received 124,405, Globacom had 56,810, while T2mobile recorded 3,885.

Although the operators reportedly resolved 406,938 of the complaints, subscribers have continued to report poor call quality, slow internet speeds, billing problems and failed transactions.

In April 2026, the NCC introduced an automatic airtime compensation policy for eligible subscribers affected when operators fail to meet stipulated service standards.

Despite these measures, the committee is demanding explanations from the telecom companies on why service problems persist and what concrete steps they intend to take to improve network quality.

Osoba directed the NCC to ensure that the operators comply with the October 28 deadline and submit all required documents.