By Abigail Mbah
The House of Representatives has ordered the chief executives of major telecommunications companies, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and Mafab Communications, to appear before lawmakers within seven days to account for persistent poor network quality across the country.
The directive came from the House Ad Hoc Committee investigating the quality of telecommunications services. It was issued on Wednesday, October 21, during a public hearing in Abuja. The committee fixed the appearance for Wednesday, October 28, at 2 p.m. in Hearing Room 447 of the New Building of the National Assembly Complex.
Committee chairman Olumide Osoba, who represents Ogun State, said the operators must explain the ongoing decline in service quality that has frustrated millions of subscribers and disrupted businesses. The panel also instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure the companies comply and submit relevant documents ahead of the hearing.
Lawmakers expressed frustration that some operators, particularly MTN and Mafab Communications, had failed to honour earlier invitations. They warned that any chief executive who does not appear could face an arrest summons to compel attendance.
The decision followed the adoption of two motions sponsored by Representatives Sunday Umeha and Afam Ogene. Osoba noted that telecommunications networks now underpin far more than voice calls and internet access. Point-of-sale transactions, financial services and many other commercial activities depend on reliable connectivity, making the recurring problems a serious national concern.
The summons comes against a backdrop of widespread subscriber complaints about dropped calls, slow data speeds, unstable connections and failed transactions. The NCC recently reported that operators compensated about 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million others received refunds for unsuccessful airtime and data purchases. In the first half of the year alone, the four major operators recorded more than 413,000 consumer complaints, though most were eventually marked as resolved.
The hearing is expected to examine the reasons for the persistent service issues and what concrete steps the operators are taking to improve network performance.