Reps Blame NCC Over Poor Telecom Services Nationwide, Demand Stronger Regulation

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has strongly criticised the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over what lawmakers describe as persistent poor telecom services across the country. The lawmakers accused the regulator of weak oversight and failure to enforce quality standards in the telecommunications sector.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ahmadu Jaha, representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State. Lawmakers said the situation has led to widespread complaints, including dropped calls, slow internet speeds, and failed message delivery, which continue to frustrate millions of subscribers.

Jaha stressed that telecommunications have become essential to daily life and economic activity in Nigeria, noting that poor service quality is affecting businesses, education, and emergency communication. He also criticised the high cost of data and calls, arguing that it does not reflect the poor quality of service Nigerians receive.

Supporting the motion, Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi accused telecom operators of prioritising profit over service improvement, while also faulting the NCC for regulatory complacency. Lawmakers further pointed to inadequate infrastructure, rising network congestion, and poor customer service response as major challenges in the sector.

Nigeria’s telecom industry has grown significantly since liberalisation, expanding to over 200 million subscriptions. However, challenges such as weak infrastructure, unstable power supply, multiple taxation, vandalism, and poor regulatory enforcement continue to affect service delivery. The House has now called for stricter NCC oversight and set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the root causes and recommend reforms.

source: punch