MTN Nigeria has pledged to compensate subscribers affected by poor network quality with airtime credits, in response to a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The announcement was made in a statement on Thursday, April 22.
The compensation targets service shortfalls recorded during November, December, and January. The NCC's Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, confirmed at a media briefing that affected subscribers would start receiving credits from Friday, April 24. The compensation will be issued as airtime, marking a new regulatory approach focused on direct consumer benefits rather than fines on operators.
MTN's Commitment to Service Improvement
MTN emphasized that this initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance customer experience and rebuild trust. The company plans accelerated infrastructure upgrades, improved network resilience, and closer collaboration with tower providers to meet rising demand for voice and data services. It cited external challenges like frequent fibre cuts and third-party disruptions as factors affecting service quality.
The company stated: "At MTN Nigeria, our customers are the lifeblood of our business. We exist to connect Nigerians to the digital world, and we believe that every subscriber deserves a reliable, high-quality network experience."
Regulatory Shift and Consumer Protection
The NCC directive requires operators to compensate subscribers in areas where network performance falls below prescribed standards. The regulator noted that poor service quality undermines productivity, disrupts commercial activities, and erodes public confidence. Previously, the NCC imposed fines on non-compliant operators without direct relief for subscribers.
MTN also recently halted its Xtratime airtime and data lending service to comply with new digital lending regulations from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
