The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a new directive mandating all telecom licensees to inform consumers of major service outages via media channels, detailing the cause, affected areas, and expected restoration time.
According to the directive titled “Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),” operators are also required to notify consumers at least one week in advance of any planned service interruptions.
The NCC said the new rules aim to improve service transparency, ensure prompt outage resolution, and enhance consumer experience across Nigeria’s telecom sector.
The directive applies to Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers, and last-mile service providers, who are now obligated to provide compensation—such as service validity extensions—if an outage lasts more than 24 hours, in accordance with the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
The Commission defines three categories of major outages: disruptions affecting at least 5% of an operator’s subscriber base or five or more Local Government Areas; isolation of 100 or more network sites or 5% of total sites lasting over 30 minutes; and service degradation in any of the top 10 states based on traffic volume.
To ensure public accountability, the NCC has also activated a Major Outage Reporting Portal on its website (www.ncc.gov.ng), where consumers can access real-time outage updates and see which operator is responsible for each incident.
Commenting on the initiative, the Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr. Edoyemi Ogor, said the Commission tested the portal with telecom operators before the full rollout.
“By providing consumers and stakeholders with timely and transparent information, we are entrenching a culture of accountability,” Ogor said. He added that the directive aligns with the Executive Order designating telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), reinforcing efforts to protect these vital assets.