Nigeria Parliament Sets Nov 4 Telecom CEOs Deadline

The House of Representatives has set a November 4 deadline for the chief executive officers of MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab and other telecom firms to appear before an ad-hoc committee that is examining persistent poor network services. The November 4 deadline also synchronises with the committee’s scheduled adjournment, giving the CEOs a clear window to prepare full reports before the next plenary session.

The committee originally planned to hold the hearing on October 28, but it moved the date after rejecting a request from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) chairman Gbenga Adebayo to act as a representative for the operators. ALTON’s letter argued that the committee lacked jurisdiction, but lawmakers countered that the House’s constitutional mandate supersedes any industry association’s claim to represent its members.

The panel, chaired by Olumide Osoba, indicated that the executives must explain their companies’ service delivery, outline current challenges, and describe measures being taken to improve network coverage and reliability.

Consumers have complained about dropped calls, slow data, failed airtime top-ups and limited coverage in many communities, arguing that higher airtime prices are not matched by service quality. The reported issues have translated into tangible economic setbacks: merchants have lost sales when point-of-sale terminals cannot connect, freelancers miss deadlines due to dropped video calls, and travelers in rural corridors are unable to summon emergency assistance promptly.

Member Sunday Umeha cited Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, noting that the House has authority to investigate matters within its legislative competence, including the implementation of government policies. Umeha emphasized that licences issued individually by the NCC bind each carrier to distinct performance obligations, thereby preventing collective defence based on association membership.

The committee also referenced the role of the Nigerian Communications Commission in overseeing the sector, emphasizing that the regulator’s standards are central to any improvement plan.

Between April and September 2026, covering the second and third quarters, MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2mobile together logged more than 214,000 complaints concerning poor network quality. A detailed split shows 120,951 complaints were recorded from April to June, while a further 96,282 complaints were lodged between July and September 2026.