The Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has stated that the commission will engage independent auditors to verify compliance with its new compensation guidelines for poor services by telecommunications providers
Speaking at a media interactive forum for 2026 in Abuja, on Friday, Maida said the move aims to ensure compliance by operators with the recent directive mandating compensation for consumers over unsatisfactory data and voice services.
“We will be engaging independent auditors to verify what was done by the providers so they comply with the rules and guidelines,” Maida told journalists.
He disclosed that consumer complaints on quality of service dropped sharply since the tariff adjustment in 2025, falling from 351,000 to 75,000.
He urged subscribers to use the NCC’s toll-free lines 300 or 622 to lodge complaints, and to visit the Commission’s website for FAQs on service issues.
“Our policy directive is on transparency, which we rolled out to the providers,” he said.
Maida said NCC’s collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is yielding desired results, with reduced incidents of fiber cuts at construction and other sites nationwide.
“At the moment, with our collaboration with the ONSA, we are beginning to see reduced fiber cuts across construction and other sites,” he noted.
He added that more 5G sites are being rolled out in urban centres, while the Commission is expanding utilisation of free spectrum. A review of the National Telecommunications Policy is also on-going, he added.
“We are not where we should be yet, but we are moving in the right direction,” Maida emphasised.
Other interventions cited include efforts to resolve USSD debt issues, a 24-month deadline for full implementation of the new Corporate Governance Guidelines for operators, and collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to deepen digital inclusion and curb digital fraud.
On device pricing, Maida explained: “We work within the global environment in every decision we take, including approving devices and joining the manufacturers to fix prices for the consumers.”
Addressing concerns over harmful content on social media, the EVC said the NCC is working with other sector agencies to tackle the issue appropriately.
Earlier, Head of Public Affairs, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, said the forum was a continuation of stakeholder engagement to entrench sustainability and resilience across the telecoms sector, describing it as an opportunity to “network, exchange ideas and nurture the media as a very important stakeholder.”
Also speaking, the Executive-Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, commended the media for accurate reporting on NCC activities and for holding the management to account.
