NCC Mandates Telecom Operators To Inform Public Of Major Service Outages.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a directive requiring telecom operators to promptly notify customers of major service outages through various media channels. The announcement, made on Sunday, mandates that operators disclose the cause of disruptions, the affected areas, and the estimated time for service restoration.
The directive, detailed in the NCC’s ‘Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),’ aims to address the recurring issue of service disruptions that have long plagued Nigeria’s telecom industry. These outages, often caused by fibre optic cable cuts, infrastructure challenges, vandalism, or natural disasters, have significantly impacted millions of subscribers, affecting daily life, businesses, and the broader economy.
Under the new regulation, telecom operators, including Mobile Network Operators and Internet Service Providers, must inform consumers of planned outages at least one week in advance. For unplanned outages, operators are required to report incidents through the NCC’s Major Outage Reporting Portal, accessible via the Commission’s website (www.ncc.gov.ng) (www.ncc.gov.ng). The portal, which has been trialled with operators for several months, is designed to foster accountability and ensure timely communication with the public.
Edoyemi Ogor, NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, emphasised the importance of the directive, stating, “By providing consumers and stakeholders with timely and transparent information on network outages, we are entrenching a culture of accountability and transparency.” Ogor further noted that the initiative aligns with the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), underscoring its role in national security and economic stability.
The NCC has also introduced a compensation mechanism for subscribers affected by prolonged outages. If a disruption lasts more than 24 hours, operators are required to offer proportional compensation, such as extended validity periods, in line with the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations. Major outages are defined as those affecting five percent or more of an operator’s subscriber base or five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs), the isolation of 100 or more network sites, or service degradation in the top 10 states by traffic volume.
This directive has been widely welcomed as a step towards improving service quality and consumer trust in Nigeria’s telecom sector. With mobile number portability surging by 190% in January 2025, as 8,708 subscribers switched networks due to dissatisfaction, the NCC’s push for transparency and accountability is seen as timely. Industry analysts suggest that this move could pressure operators to invest in robust infrastructure and proactive maintenance to minimise disruptions.
Consumers are encouraged to monitor updates through media channels and the NCC’s reporting portal for real-time information on outages. The Commission hopes this initiative will not only enhance the quality of telecom services but also strengthen the relationship between operators and their customers.
