Poor network: Reps give MTN, Airtel, Globacom CEOs till Nov 4 to appear, threaten arrest

The House of Reps has now given Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab and others till November 4 to appear before the House for an explanation over consistently poor network services. 

While the CEOs were initially meant to appear before the House on October 28, the ad hoc committee investigating persistent poor network services postponed the date after rejecting an attempt by Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, to represent the telecom operators.

The House has also threatened to arrest the CEOs if they fail to appear before the committee on the said date. 

Chaired by Olumide Osoba, the ad hoc committee insisted that the CEOs and other senior management officials of MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab and others must appear before the House and account for their companies’ service delivery. They are also expected to explain challenges and current measures they are taking to solve the issues. 

Also read: Lagos orders MTN, Airtel and others to fix sagging fibre-optic cables within 2 days.

The move comes amid public outcry over the continued drop in the quality of experience across voice and data services, as Nigerian decry the stance of not getting value for the increased cost of airtime recharged. With this, the committee summoned the CEOs to explain the cause of dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime, data transactions, and poor network coverage in several Nigerian communities. 

However, the MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Mafab CEOs’ request to be reprimanded by Adebayo was outrightly rejected, a move that angered lawmakers. The ad hoc committee maintained that each operator must account for its own performance, measures and regulatory obligations.

While moving a motion on the issue, Sunday Umeha noted that operators obtained individual licenses issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission and could not rely on their membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the committee. 

The House of Reps member also questioned a letter from ALTON that questioned the committee’s authority to compel telecom operators to give an account on the pressing matter. Citing Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Umeha mentioned that the House has the power to investigate matters within its legislative competence, including the implementation of government policies. 

The committee has now adjourned its sitting to November 4, when the CEOs are expected to appear. 

Poor network quality complaints against MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and others

For every Nigerian telecom subscriber, a poor network is more than just a drop in quality of experience; it causes daily disruptions and financial losses.

With network outages come failed digital payment or Point of Sale (PoS) transactions, delayed bank transfers, and stalled e-commerce operations that disrupt trade and daily earnings. For online workers, it hits deep. Remote workers and online professionals face dropped video calls, missed interviews, or sudden disconnections that can lead to the loss of international employment. 

In terms of security strength, network blackspots on highways or in rural areas prevent travellers and residents from contacting emergency services or security agencies during dangerous situations. 

Industry data shows the weight of recent consumer complaints against poor network quality.

In the second and third quarters of 2026, covering April to September, MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2mobile received over 214,000 complaints about poor network quality. The complaints range from quality of experience in dropped calls (voice) to quality of experience in poor internet connection (data). 

Further breakdown shows that 120,951 complaints were made between April and June 2026, while 96,282 complaints were received by MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2mobile (9mobile) between July and September 2026. 

When the CEOs appear before the House of Reps on November 4, they are expected to highlight ongoing measures to improve the situation. 

Also read: “They gave me a ‘free’ router, then came to take it back”: Inside the hidden broadband clause many don’t know about.