NCC’s compensation for telecoms consumers over poor network services a regulatory affair –NANS

*The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students supports the Nigerian Communications Commission on designing compensation framework for Mobile Network Operators, stating the measure is ‘the product of institutional planning, regulatory review, and sustained commitment by the NCC to protect Nigerian consumers’

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to the Commission’s recent compensation directive to the Telcos, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has defended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on its directive mandating the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to reimburse telecoms consumers for poor network services.

ConsumerConnect reports the NCC clear-cut compensation framework to the network operators is in consonance with the Commission’s sustained consumer protection regulations as its core mandate over the years.

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The NCC’s latest directive followed prevalent complaints by several telecoms subscribers about worsening Quality of Service (QoS), including dropped calls, slow Internet speeds, and failed SMS deliveries with attendant subsiding Quality of Experience (QoE) for consumers.

The telecoms sector regulatory Commission had noted that burning issues around relatively poor network services became more pronounced between November 2025 and January 2026.

The NCC said it subsequently, undertook a performance review of telecoms operators, and invoked its consumer protection mandate to enforce compensation where service standards were not met in Nigeria’s telecoms space.

Under the directive, affected telecoms subscribers are to receive compensation, usually in the form of service credits, including bonus data or airtime, from telecoms operators for verified service lapses within the specified period.

According to the Commission, the initiative well aligns with existing QoS regulations, designed to hold network operators accountable, and to improve overall consumer experience in the West African country’s telecommunications space.

Recent checks with a number of consumers also revealed that several affected telecoms subscribers had received some form of compensation from their network service providers in Nigeria.

NCC’s directive ‘strictly a regulatory process,’ insists NANS

Underscoring the strategic importance of the compensation framework as a regulatory measure, NANS said the telecoms sector regulatory Commission’s move was strictly the outcome of a “structured regulatory process”.

The national students’ body emphasised that the Commission’s compensation framework is not a mere response to public pressure, or individual agitation in the telecoms ecosystem.

Ahmad Mallawa, National Vice-Chairman of NANS, who expressed the body’s position on the directive in a statement Monday, April 27, 2026, also contended that the telecoms regulator had been working on consumer compensation measures well before the issue gained wider public attention recently.

NANS further said the NCC had already commenced steps towards making the telecoms firms compensate subscribers since March this year.

Insight into NCC’s telecoms regulatory process

It was gathered that moments after the NCC announced the compensation framework, the move also sparked a wave of public claims, with some individuals and interest groups attempting to take credit for influencing the policy.

NANS also said the such spurious claims had circulated largely on social and conventional media platforms, prompting clarifications from stakeholders, including the students’ body.

The Association, however, contended that the recent compensation initiative is already established in the NCC’s long-standing regulatory processes rather than any single advocacy effort.

It is further said that by restating the timeline and institutional basis of the directive, NANS has sought to reinforce confidence in the Commission’s regulatory mechanisms in the telecoms sector of the Nigerian economy.

It said the initiative had further underscored the significance of acknowledging the role of established institutions, including the NCC, in driving consumer-focused reforms Nigeria’s all-important telecoms sector.

Compensation part of NCC’s ‘sustained commitment to consumer protection’

The NANS statement noted: “For the avoidance of doubt, this directive is not a reaction to any recent individual comment or public outcry.

“The process leading to this decision has been ongoing, with the Commission’s position and regulatory direction clearly established as far back as March 29, 2026.”

The students’ umbrella body stated: “It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading for anyone to claim personal credit for a policy that is the product of institutional planning, regulatory review, and sustained commitment by the NCC to protect Nigerian consumers.”

NANS, in the statement, urged industry stakeholders and the general public to prioritise factual accuracy over sensationalism.

It equally warned against attempts to distort the narrative surrounding the ongoing telecoms compensation policy.

The statement as well noted: “While NANS encourages active civic engagement, we strongly caution against the spread of narratives that distort facts, or seek to personalise national policy achievements.

“The NCC, as an independent regulator, deserves full recognition for this proactive and consumer-focused directive.”

The students’ body averred: “Undermining this process by attributing it to individual influence diminishes the integrity of our institutions.

“NANS remains committed to promoting truth, responsible advocacy, and giving credit where it is rightly due.”

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