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The House of Representatives has given the chief executives of MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other telecommunications operators seven days to appear before its ad hoc committee investigating persistent poor network quality across the country.
The committee directed the operators to appear on October 28, 2026, to explain the continued deterioration in telecommunications services and their failure to honour previous invitations by the lawmakers.
The ultimatum was issued during a public hearing in Abuja on Wednesday following the adoption of two motions sponsored by members of the House, Sunday Umeha and Afam Ogene.
The lawmakers expressed displeasure over the failure of some invited telecommunications operators, including MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications, to appear before the committee as previously requested.
Consequently, the committee directed the Nigerian Communications Commission to ensure that all affected operators comply with the invitation and appear at 2pm on October 28 at Hearing Room 447 of the New Building of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
The companies were also instructed to submit relevant documents before the scheduled hearing and provide explanations for the persistent decline in network quality affecting millions of subscribers and businesses nationwide.
The committee warned that chief executives who failed to honour the invitation could face arrest summons to compel their appearance.
Personal appearance mandatory
The committee chairman, Olumide Osoba, who represents Ogun State under the All Progressives Congress, said reliable telecommunications services had become indispensable to Nigeria’s economy.
He explained that telecommunications services had grown beyond voice calls and internet access to support essential commercial activities, including Point of Sale transactions, electronic payments and other business operations.
According to him, persistent network disruptions have become a matter of serious national concern because businesses, financial transactions and other essential services depend heavily on reliable telecommunications infrastructure.
Osoba said the House constituted the ad hoc committee to investigate repeated complaints by subscribers and identify the factors responsible for the poor quality of services provided by operators.
He, however, expressed concern that the chief executives had continued to avoid direct engagement with the committee by offering various excuses or sending lower-ranking officials to represent them.
The chairman maintained that the committee expected the chief executives to appear personally, arguing that they were better positioned to explain their companies’ operational challenges and outline measures being taken to improve service delivery.
Lawmakers fault operators’ conduct
Another member of the committee, Ibe Osonwa, criticised the telecommunications companies for what he described as disregard for the House, despite the substantial revenue they generated from their Nigerian operations.
Osonwa said it was unacceptable for companies benefiting from the country’s telecommunications market to ignore legislative invitations, particularly when lawmakers were seeking explanations about services that directly affected millions of customers and the wider economy.
He stressed that operators had a responsibility to account for the quality of services delivered to Nigerians and warned that the House would not overlook attempts to frustrate the investigation.
In his ruling, Osoba urged the NCC to ensure full compliance with the committee’s directive, reiterating that the affected companies must appear on October 28 with the required documents and explanations concerning the state of their networks.
The hearing comes amid persistent complaints by telecommunications subscribers over dropped calls, slow internet connections and unreliable network services, which have disrupted personal communications, business transactions and other activities dependent on mobile connectivity.
The committee is expected to use the engagement to obtain explanations from the operators and examine the challenges affecting service delivery, as well as their commitments to improving network quality across Nigeria.
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