The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has instructed telecommunications operators to notify consumers of major service disruptions using media platforms.
The directive further mandates that affected customers must receive proportionate compensation, including extensions of service validity, in line with the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
According to a statement from Nnenna Ukoha, Acting Head of Public Affairs at the NCC, operators are expected to disclose the reason for the outage, the affected areas, and the estimated time for restoration.
This initiative is part of the Commission’s wider effort to enhance the quality of consumer experience, ensure swift resolution of service failures, and keep users well-informed.
NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Edoyemi Ogor, explained that the reporting process and online portal had been piloted with operators for several months prior to the directive.
“By providing consumers and stakeholders in the telecoms sector with timely and transparent information on network disruptions, we are promoting a culture of accountability and openness,” he said.
“This approach also ensures those responsible for any sabotage to telecommunications infrastructure are held to account.”
Additionally, the NCC stated that customers must be notified at least one week in advance of any planned service interruptions.
Ogor added that the directive aligns with the broader implementation of the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which classifies telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
“This designation highlights the need to protect telecoms assets due to their vital role in national security, economic stability, and the daily lives of Nigerians,” he noted.
Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers, and other last-mile service providers are required to offer proportionate compensation—including validity extensions—when major network outages last over 24 hours, in accordance with the Consumer Code of Practice.
The Commission defines major outages under three categories:
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Any network-related issue—such as fibre cuts from construction work, restricted access, theft, vandalism, or force majeure—that affects five percent or more of a provider’s subscribers or impacts five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs).
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Unplanned outages or full isolation of network resources at 100 or more sites, or at least five percent of the total number of sites (whichever is fewer), or the loss of one cluster for 30 minutes or longer.
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Any disruption that significantly reduces network quality in the top 10 states with the highest traffic volume, as periodically determined by the Commission.
The NCC has made it compulsory for all such outages to be reported through its publicly accessible Major Outage Reporting Portal, available on the Commission’s website. The portal also discloses the causes of reported disruptions.