NCC: Telecoms Compensate Over 75 Million Nigerians With Free Airtime Over Poor Service
By Aboki Forex —
Telecom operators in Nigeria have compensated more than 75 million subscribers with free airtime following widespread complaints about poor network quality. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed this in a communiqué after its 109th board meeting on May 25, 2026. The NCC described it as one of the largest consumer compensation exercises in Africa’s telecom sector.
The compensation followed a directive issued by the NCC on March 29, 2026. The directive ordered operators including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile to automatically credit customers affected by poor service delivery. Subscribers qualified for compensation if they experienced poor network performance in areas where operators failed to meet quality-of-service benchmarks set by the regulator.
The NCC calculated compensation based on users’ average spending patterns in affected locations. This means customers who suffered from dropped calls, unstable internet, slow data speeds, or prolonged outages received airtime credits directly. Subscribers did not need to apply manually. Operators credited affected customers automatically.
“The board noted substantial progress in the implementation of the commission’s directive, particularly the full compliance, which has resulted in compensation being offered to over 75 million affected subscribers,” the communiqué stated.
The NCC said it is still carrying out independent verification to ensure all eligible customers are captured. The commission encouraged subscribers to continue reporting unresolved network issues. Nigeria has over 200 million active mobile subscriptions, meaning a large percentage of users may benefit from the exercise.
The NCC said the intervention was necessary due to growing consumer frustration over poor service quality despite massive investments by telecom companies. The sector continues to battle challenges including rising data demand, limited fibre infrastructure, vandalism of telecom equipment, and pressure on mobile broadband networks.
Industry figures show telecom operators and tower companies spent about N2.13 trillion on infrastructure and network upgrades in 2025. Operators are expected to invest another N1.86 trillion in 2026 to improve network coverage and capacity. The NCC also revealed that tower companies directed to reinvest regulatory fines into infrastructure upgrades have only partially complied. The commission warned that full compliance is necessary for sustainable network improvement.
Vandalism of telecom facilities remains a major threat to service quality, despite telecom infrastructure being classified as critical national assets. The NCC said it is considering additional security measures, including the establishment of a Communications Industry Security Trust Fund to protect infrastructure. The commission also noted that fibre-to-the-home expansion is improving but access remains below national demand. Wider fibre deployment will help reduce pressure on mobile networks and lower internet costs over time.
The compensation programme signals a tougher regulatory stance by the NCC as it intensifies efforts to hold operators accountable and improve customer experience in Nigeria’s competitive telecom market.