Subscribers Report Delays In Airtime Compensation Five Days After NCC Directive For Quality Of Service Failures

Telecom users report no airtime refunds five days after the NCC's compensation order. Read the latest on the Quality of Service dispute and operator responses.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 4:48 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Nation Newspaper

Telecom Watchdog’s Refund Timeline Lapses Without Action

Subscribers across Nigeria have raised concerns over a significant delay in the implementation of a compensation order issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Although the commission’s CEO, Dr. Aminu Maida, previously assured the public that airtime refunds for poor Quality of Service (QoS) would commence effective last Thursday and Friday, mobile phone users reported yesterday that no such credits have appeared. This lack of movement has sparked criticism from consumer advocacy groups who believe the delay is eroding the regulatory trust built between the commission and its over 150 million active subscribers.

Subscriber Associations Cite Total Lack Of Implementation

The Association of Telephone, Cable Tv, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCISNigeria) has been actively monitoring its membership for any signs of compliance from mobile network operators. President Hon. Sina Bilesanmi noted that after checking across roughly 100 internal monitoring platforms, not one member confirmed receiving the promised airtime. He expressed shock at the development, noting that subscribers had waited patiently for the directive to be finalized. Individual users in regions like Ekiti also confirmed that while the news of the compensation was celebrated on radio and in print, it has yet to manifest as a balance update on their devices.

Tiered Compensation Model Based On Average Spending

The NCC has clarified that the compensation will not be a uniform amount for all affected users. According to Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, the airtime value will be calculated based on the average airtime purchase and economic value of each subscriber during the months where service targets were missed—specifically November, December, and June 2026. This tiered approach means that high-spending subscribers will receive a larger credit than those with lower monthly expenditures, reflecting the relative economic impact of service disruptions on their specific accounts.