Joy Agwunobi
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a new directive mandating all licensed telecom service providers in Nigeria to promptly inform consumers of major network outages.
The directive, aimed at improving consumer experience and fostering transparency, requires operators to clearly state the cause of the outage, the affected areas, and the estimated time for service restoration via mass media channels.
According to a statement signed by Nnenna Ukoha, acting head of public affairs at the NCC, the commission stipulated that where outages are planned, consumers must be notified at least one week in advance.
This new regulation, titled “Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),” applies to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and other last-mile service providers. It forms part of the NCC’s broader strategy to ensure network accountability, enhance service quality, and protect consumer rights.
According to the directive, where a major network outage persists beyond 24 hours, operators must also offer proportional compensation to affected subscribers. This may include service extensions or other reliefs in line with the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
The NCC defines major outages under three broad scenarios to include: any network operational condition such as fibre cut due to construction/access issues/theft & vandalism and force majeure that impacts five per cent or more of the affected operator’s subscriber base or five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs); having an occasion of unplanned outage of, or complete isolation of network resources in 100 or more sites or five per cent of the total number of sites (whichever is less) or 1 cluster that lasts for 30 minutes or more; and lastly, any form of outage that can degrade network quality in the top 10 states based on traffic volume as specified by the Commission from time to time.
To enhance transparency, the NCC also unveiled a Major Outage Reporting Portal accessible via its official website. The portal will allow the public to monitor outage incidents in real time and will include details of the operator involved and, in cases of sabotage or infrastructure damage, the identity of the responsible party.
Commenting on the initiative, Edoyemi Ogor, director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, disclosed that the portal and reporting process had undergone a trial phase with telecom operators prior to the directive’s release.
“By providing consumers and stakeholders with timely and transparent information on network outages, we are entrenching a culture of accountability and transparency,” Ogor said. “This ensures that culprits are held responsible for any sabotage to telecommunications infrastructure.”
He also linked the initiative to the Commission’s commitment to the successful implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order, which recognises telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). “This reinforces the need to protect telecom assets due to their central role in national security, economic growth, and the daily lives of Nigerians,” Ogor added.
