NCC vows tougher oversight as It pushes telcos to improve consumer experience
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has pledged to hold telecommunications operators more accountable, insisting on measurable improvements in the quality of experience delivered to consumers.
According to the Commission, operators are expected to make deliberate investments in network expansion, capacity and resilience, while reducing avoidable service outages. Telcos must also strengthen incident response plans and ensure clear, timely communication with customers whenever disruptions occur.
The regulator further directed operators to simplify tariff structures and enhance pricing transparency in line with existing regulatory guidelines. Customer care systems and complaint resolution processes must also be upgraded, with consumer complaints treated as vital feedback for service improvement.
These expectations were outlined in a policy document titled “2026: Delivering Better Quality of Experience to the Nigerian Consumer,” signed by the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida. The document stresses the need for operators to safeguard the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem, including prompt settlement of obligations to critical suppliers and actions that support long-term service sustainability.
Operators are also required to comply fully with industry corporate governance guidelines and all other applicable regulatory obligations.
Summing up the Commission’s stance, Maida said: “Stronger networks, clearer communication, better customer care, and stricter compliance.”
On its own responsibilities, the NCC said it will place stronger emphasis on quality of service and network resilience by expanding QoS monitoring, improving major incident reporting and escalation, and implementing practical measures to enhance service availability—especially in high-traffic locations and long-standing coverage gaps.
Consumer protection and transparency will remain central to the Commission’s agenda. “We will reinforce tariff transparency, billing accuracy, customer care standards, and protections against misleading practices. Consumers will also experience more consistent public communication during major service disruptions,” Maida said.
Looking ahead to 2026, the NCC said it will intensify efforts to ensure fair competition and market discipline, noting that a healthy market promotes better pricing, service quality and innovation. The Commission plans to operationalise the revised Corporate Governance Code for the communications sector, making accountability at board and management levels a key driver of operator performance.
The NCC also pledged to maintain transparent regulatory processes, improve efficiency in licensing and approvals, and engage stakeholders through structured, evidence-based consultations. It will strengthen escalation channels for urgent service-impacting issues and continue working with government partners to remove deployment barriers and protect telecom infrastructure.
Enforcement of regulatory obligations will be stepped up, particularly in areas of service quality, governance and consumer protection, with proportionate sanctions applied for persistent or serious non-compliance.
To further advance the sector, the Commission said it will regularly publish industry performance reports, intensify the protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), and collaborate with security agencies—including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)—to curb vandalism, theft and service disruptions.
Finally, the NCC highlighted plans to improve power resilience and energy efficiency, while deepening collaboration with state governments through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to address right-of-way challenges, speed up deployment, protect infrastructure and enable faster network rollout nationwide.
