By Efe Onodjae & Ogochukwu Agha
Data depletion and poor network quality dominated discussions at the 95th edition of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Telecom Consumer Parliament, as telecommunications operators acknowledged the need to improve service delivery, transparency and communication with subscribers.
The forum brought together representatives of mobile network operators, internet service providers, consumer advocacy groups, young people and the regulator to discuss ways of enhancing consumer experience and strengthening protection in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The discussions centred on reliable connectivity, transparent billing, effective complaint resolution and ensuring that consumers receive timely information about service disruptions.
Speaking during the panel session, Olubunmi Abejirinde, representing Airtel, said the company was investing in network expansion and capacity optimisation to improve service quality.
She, however, acknowledged that more needed to be done to bridge the gap in communication between operators and subscribers, particularly during unplanned network disruptions.
Abejirinde said while operators made efforts to inform customers about scheduled maintenance and planned network interruptions, communicating unexpected disruptions remained a challenge.
She explained that customers relied on telecommunications services for essential activities, including financial transactions, communication with loved ones, education and other daily engagements, making timely information about service interruptions imperative.
According to her, Airtel considers customer complaints an important tool for identifying service gaps, improving products and enabling management to make informed decisions on resolving recurring problems.
She added that operators were aligning their activities with the NCC’s quality-of-service framework to improve compliance with service standards and strengthen complaint resolution.
On data consumption concerns, Winifred Umerah, General Manager, Personal Strategy Management and Insights at MTN Nigeria, said the company had introduced measures to help subscribers better understand their network experience and monitor data usage.
Umerah said MTN had invested more than $100 million in customer experience initiatives aimed at assessing subscribers’ actual experiences rather than relying solely on network coverage.
She explained that the company’s Customer Experience Index was designed to help identify factors responsible for individual subscribers’ service challenges, including device limitations, network infrastructure and insufficient airtime or data balances.
According to her, network coverage alone does not guarantee access to satisfactory telecommunications services, stressing the need for operators to assess the actual experience of customers.
Addressing concerns over data depletion, Umerah said MTN had introduced a data-monitoring feature on its mobile application, allowing subscribers to review their consumption patterns and identify applications using the most data.
She said the feature provides information on subscribers’ leading data-consuming applications over a seven-day period, adding that the company was working to improve consumer education on data usage.
Umerah also encouraged subscribers to check the data-usage records available on their mobile phones and compare them with information provided by their service providers.
She said such measures would help consumers better understand their usage patterns and hold operators accountable where discrepancies arise.
The MTN representative acknowledged that the industry still had work to do to improve transparency and accessibility, noting that consumer trust should be an integral part of operators’ business strategies.
Other panellists at the event included Kenechukwu Okonkwo of T2, Alamu Jewesimi of Globacom, Busola Akindele of Spectranet, Ayewoh Paul of Save the Consumer Initiative, Ojo Samuel, a cybersecurity and intelligence analyst representing young consumers, and Mistura Aruna of the NCC.
The session highlighted the importance of collaboration among telecommunications operators, regulators and consumer advocacy groups in addressing persistent service challenges and improving customer satisfaction.
The NCC Telecom Consumer Parliament provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss issues affecting telecommunications consumers and identify measures to improve service delivery, accountability and consumer protection in the country.
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