ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated all telecom operators in the country to publicly disclose major service disruptions in a bold move aimed at improving transparency and protect consumer rights.
The directive requires mobile network operators and internet service providers to inform consumers via media platforms about the causes, affected areas, and expected resolution time of any significant service outage.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Nnenna Ukoha, Acting Head of Public Affairs, operators must also issue advance notice—at least one week ahead—when planned outages are scheduled.
This directive, titled “Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators,” is part of the NCC’s broader push to ensure timely resolution of service disruptions, improve user experience, and enforce accountability across Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Key points of the directive include that Operators must report outages affecting at least 5% of their subscribers or five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs).; Unplanned outages lasting over 30 minutes across 100+ sites or 5% of total sites must be reported and that service disruptions in the top 10 traffic-heavy states must also be disclosed.
In cases where service interruptions extend beyond 24 hours, the Commission mandates that affected consumers be offered proportional compensation, such as service validity extensions, in line with the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
The NCC has launched a Major Outage Reporting Portal on its website (www.ncc.gov.ng), allowing the public to track outages and even identify those responsible for disruptions—be it due to fibre cuts, vandalism, or other causes.
Commenting on the initiative, Engr. Edoyemi Ogor, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, noted that the portal and reporting system were piloted with operators before formal adoption. He emphasized the Commission’s goal to “entrench a culture of accountability and transparency” in the industry.
“This also supports the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which designates telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure,” Ogor added, stressing its importance to national security, economic stability, and daily life.
With this directive, the NCC is not only holding telecom operators accountable but also empowering consumers with the information they need to understand and respond to service challenges.
