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House of Representatives Faults NCC on Telecom Service Quality
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has criticised the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over what lawmakers described as weak regulatory oversight, blaming the agency for the persistent decline in telecom service quality across the country.
RELATED: NCC warns telcos over poor quality of service as network failures disrupt businesses, consumers
Lawmakers warned that unreliable connectivity now poses serious risks to lives, businesses, and emergency response systems, particularly in underserved and conflict-affected regions.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ahmadu Jaha, representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State.
Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Poor Connectivity
Leading the debate, Jaha stressed that telecommunications have become central to Nigeria’s socio-economic development, but argued that service delivery has failed to meet public expectations.
“Telecommunication has become a vital part of everyday life in Nigeria. It connects families, supports businesses, enhances education, and drives economic growth. However, despite its importance, the quality of service provided by many telecom companies remains unsatisfactory,” he said.
The lawmaker highlighted persistent challenges including dropped calls, slow internet speeds, failed message delivery, and unstable network performance, describing them as signs of deep-rooted inefficiencies in the telecom sector.
Subscribers Paying More for Poorer Services
The House also criticised the widening gap between the high cost of telecom services and the quality experienced by consumers.
According to Jaha, Nigerians continue to spend heavily on data and voice services, yet unstable connections and frequent interruptions result in poor user experience and financial losses.
“The high cost of data and call tariffs does not match the quality of service delivered. Nigerians often pay significant amounts for data bundles that are quickly exhausted due to unstable connections and network interruptions,” he said.
Lawmakers further noted that network congestion during peak periods reflects inadequate infrastructure expansion despite rising subscriber numbers.
NCC Accused of Regulatory Complacency
Supporting the motion, Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi accused telecom operators of prioritising profits over infrastructure improvement while criticising the NCC for failing to enforce stronger compliance measures.
“It is like these companies have made enough profits in billions, and so, they don’t care about improving the network anymore. The NCC, the regulator, has become complacent,” Ozodinobi stated.
The lawmakers argued that inconsistent enforcement of Quality of Service regulations has weakened accountability in the sector, despite periodic fines and performance benchmarks issued by the regulator.
Telecom Growth Outpaces Infrastructure
Nigeria’s telecom industry has expanded rapidly since sector liberalisation in the early 2000s, growing from fewer than one million connected lines to more than 200 million active subscriptions.
The sector has become a major pillar of Nigeria’s digital economy, driven by mobile penetration, internet adoption, fintech growth, and private investment.
However, industry experts say infrastructure deployment has not kept pace with subscriber growth. Key challenges affecting service quality include:
- Inadequate base stations
- Poor electricity supply
- Rising diesel and operational costs
- Multiple taxation across tiers of government
- Vandalism of telecom infrastructure
- Right-of-way bottlenecks
These constraints have particularly slowed rural connectivity expansion and affected network reliability nationwide.
Consumers Demand Stronger Subscriber Protection
Consumer advocacy groups have repeatedly accused the NCC of failing to adequately protect telecom subscribers, especially regarding billing transparency, complaint resolution, and network reliability.
The lawmakers’ intervention signals growing pressure for stricter legislative oversight as digital connectivity becomes increasingly critical for governance, commerce, education, healthcare, and national security.
House Orders Investigation into Telecom Service Failures
As part of its resolutions, the House directed the NCC to enforce stricter service quality standards and hold telecom operators accountable for poor performance.
Lawmakers also resolved to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the root causes of poor telecom service delivery and recommend legislative measures aimed at improving network quality and consumer protection across the sector.
