MTN Nigeria has announced it will comply with a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ordering mobile operators to compensate subscribers affected by service shortfalls between November 2025 and January 2026.
According to NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida confirmed that subscribers will begin receiving compensation starting Friday, April 24, 2026.
In a statement, the telecom giant admitted that customers in affected areas experienced disruptions and pledged to implement the compensation framework as mandated by the regulator, noting that the directive places “customers at the centre of regulatory decision-making.”
To qualify, subscribers must have experienced poor network service within a specific Local Government Area and must have carried out at least one revenue-generating activity such as a billed call, an SMS, or data usage during the affected period.
Both individual and corporate subscribers are covered, and eligible customers will not need to file applications, as compensation will be issued automatically.
The directive represents a significant regulatory shift, as the NCC had previously responded to poor service quality by imposing fines on operators rather than directly compensating affected subscribers.
While committing to the compensation process, MTN acknowledged that its operations have been hampered by “broader ecosystem challenges,” including infrastructure constraints and external disruptions.
To prevent future failures, the company promised an aggressive capital expenditure rollout and accelerated infrastructure upgrades to strengthen network resilience and meet growing demand for voice and data services.
A key obstacle highlighted is the persistent problem of fibre cuts, with the NCC revealing that telecom operators were recording an average of 1,100 fibre cuts per week as of last year.
