MTN Nigeria has announced its commitment to compensating subscribers who experienced service shortfalls, in compliance with a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The compensation will be provided for the months of November, December, and January, during which network quality benchmarks were not met in certain areas [2, 3].

The directive from the NCC, aimed at placing consumers at the center of the telecommunications ecosystem, mandates Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate users directly for breaches in Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) [4, 5]. This represents a shift from the NCC's previous approach of primarily imposing fines on operators [3, 7].

MTN Nigeria stated that its customers are the "lifeblood of our business" and that the company believes "every subscriber deserves a reliable, high-quality network experience." [2]. The compensation will be issued in the form of airtime credits, calculated based on subscribers' average spending patterns and their presence in the affected local government areas [4, 7].

Beyond compensation, MTN Nigeria also pledged to invest significantly in improving its network infrastructure. This includes accelerating capital expenditure for network equipment upgrades, enhancing resilience against outages, and strengthening collaboration with tower infrastructure partners [2]. The company acknowledged facing broader ecosystem challenges, including infrastructure constraints and external disruptions, but affirmed its commitment to working with regulators and stakeholders to address them [2].

The NCC's intensified enforcement actions across the telecom sector are part of Nigeria's broader efforts to improve digital connectivity and service reliability amidst a surge in internet usage [2]. The directive also extends to Tower Companies, requiring them to invest in infrastructure upgrades using funds from fines and other financial penalties [4, 8].