The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a sweeping new directive requiring telecommunications providers to provide real-time updates and compensation to consumers hit by major network disruptions.
Under the new “Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages,” providers—including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs)—must now alert the public via media channels whenever a significant failure occurs. These alerts must detail the cause of the outage, the specific areas affected, and the estimated time for repair.
Accountability Through Transparency
To streamline this process, the NCC has launched the Major Outage Reporting Portal, accessible to the public via the official NCC website. Notably, the portal will not only track downtime but will also identify the specific entities or “culprits” responsible for the disruption, such as construction firms or vandals.
Engr. Edoyemi Ogor, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, stated that the portal follows months of trials. “By providing consumers with timely and transparent information, we are entrenching a culture of accountability,” Ogor said, adding that the move aligns with the recent Executive Order designating telecom assets as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
Key Mandates for Providers
The new regulatory framework introduces strict requirements for how operators handle service failures:
- Planned Outages: Operators must notify consumers at least one week in advance of any scheduled maintenance that will result in downtime.
- Compensation: If a major outage persists for more than 24 hours, providers are mandated to offer “proportional compensation,” which may include extending the validity of data or voice bundles.
- Thresholds for “Major” Outages: A disruption is officially classified as a “major outage” if it:
- Impacts 5% of a provider’s subscriber base or 5 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
- Isolates 100 or more sites for 30 minutes or more.
- Degrades quality in the top 10 states by traffic volume.
Official Statement
The directive underscores the government’s commitment to protecting the digital rights of Nigeria’s 171 million mobile subscribers.
“The Commission has mandated telecom licensees in Nigeria to inform consumers of major service outages on their networks through media channels, stating the cause(s) of the service interruption, and the area(s) affected… as well as the time that would be taken to restore service.”
— Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Nigerian Communications Commission.
The NCC’s proactive stance aims to reduce the frustration of “blackout” periods and ensure that providers take swift action to repair infrastructure, especially in high-traffic areas like Lagos or the Computer Village corridor in Ikeja.
