Telecom Subscribers Insist on Full 100% Compensation for Poor Service Quality
Telephone subscribers across Nigeria have expressed strong support for the Nigerian Communications Commission's (NCC) latest directive requiring telecom operators to provide compensation for poor quality of service (QoS). However, they are demanding that these compensations be set at 100 per cent, arguing that this is necessary to adequately address the long-standing issues faced by consumers.
NATCOMs Hails Directive as a Victory for Consumers
Under the leadership of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMs), President Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo described the NCC's move as a "long-overdue victory" for Nigerian consumers. He emphasized that affected subscribers should receive full compensation for any failures in data or voice services. "For years, we have agitated that fines should follow the victim, not just the treasury," Ogunbanjo stated. "The subscriber is the one who suffers the dropped call and the lost data. By mandating direct airtime credits, the NCC is finally putting the 'consumer as king' philosophy into practice."
Call for Clear Compensation Framework and Processes
While applauding the directive, Ogunbanjo stressed the need for a clear and transparent compensation framework. He highlighted that subscribers currently lack knowledge on how to seek redress. "While we appreciate NCC on the directive, there must be a process, which is what we currently don't know. The regulator should be clearer on how subscribers can seek redress that will lead to compensation. For instance, if you want to port from one network to another, there are processes. So, we need to know how to register or complain, then it will be attended to by the operators," he explained.
Ogunbanjo further argued that compensation should not be a one-time event but a continuous process. He pointed out that operators have benefited from a 50 per cent tariff hike since last year without delivering the promised service improvements. "Operators have already gotten a 50 per cent tariff hike since last year and the promise of improved service thereafter has not been met. They have made a huge profit without a commensurate impact on the quality of experience since the hike. So, it is the turn of the subscribers to be compensated. They must do the needful as fast as possible," he asserted.
Technical Upgrades and Enforcement Concerns
NATCOMs acknowledged that the new framework, which utilizes Local Government Area (LGA) monitoring to trigger compensation, represents a significant technical upgrade. However, the association warned that "the devil is in the enforcement." Ogunbanjo called for automated alerts and transparent communication, stating, "We want to see the automated alerts. We want the subscribers to see the 'Reason for Credit' SMS on their phones without having to lodge a formal complaint."
Joint NCC-CBN Refund Framework and Industry Challenges
The association also commented on the Joint NCC-CBN Refund Framework, which has now reached its one-month milestone. This policy guarantees a 30-second refund for failed airtime and data purchases and has reportedly returned over ₦10 billion to Nigerians in its initial period. NATCOMs urged the commission to remain vigilant against potential systemic glitches that operators might exploit. "The 30-second rule is the benchmark for trust in our digital economy. If the banks and telcos can debit us in seconds, they must refund us in seconds," Ogunbanjo emphasized.
In a related development, the Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS-Nigeria) echoed concerns about QoS challenges. President Sina Bilesanmi welcomed the NCC's directive but questioned its enforcement, recalling past instances under former NCC leader Ernest Ndukwe where operators like MTN and Celtel (now Airtel) were mandated to pay compensation for poor service. Despite legal challenges from operators, Bilesanmi maintained that they must take responsibility for service failures.
The NCC directive is expected to benefit approximately 182 million active telephone users in Nigeria who have long sought improved quality of experience (QoE). This move marks a shift from previous practices where regulatory fines were paid to the Federal Government, instead focusing on direct consumer compensation through airtime credits based on average spending and location-specific outages.
