ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Nigerian Senate has ordered an investigation into alleged unjustified airtime deductions by telecommunications operators, following growing complaints from subscribers who lose money on failed, dropped and prematurely terminated calls.
The Senate has given its Committee on Communications four weeks to investigate the complaints, determine the financial losses suffered by consumers and recommend measures to strengthen accountability across the telecommunications sector.
The resolution was adopted during plenary on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, after lawmakers considered a motion seeking stronger consumer protection against deductions arising from poor telecommunications services.
The motion was sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, and presented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru. Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, seconded the proposal, describing the problem as one affecting virtually every Nigerian who depends on mobile communication.
Lawmakers expressed concern that subscribers frequently lose airtime when calls fail to connect, conversations terminate unexpectedly or network interruptions prevent effective communication. They also noted that consumers are often compelled to dial numbers repeatedly before establishing successful connections, resulting in additional charges for services that may not have been properly delivered.
Nwoko supported the investigation, arguing that the intervention was necessary to protect subscribers from avoidable financial losses caused by poor service delivery. He said the problem was widespread because Nigerians across the country regularly depend on telecommunications services for personal, commercial and professional activities.
The Senate’s concerns extend beyond individual complaints. Lawmakers observed that deductions which may appear insignificant when considered separately could amount to substantial financial losses when accumulated across millions of subscribers. Low-income earners, traders, students and small business owners were identified among those who could be particularly affected by repeated charges for unsuccessful calls.
Following deliberations, the Senate adopted a consolidated resolution directing the Committee on Communications to invite the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and relevant telecommunications operators to explain the complaints and investigate their billing practices.
The operators expected to come under scrutiny include MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and T2 Mobile. The investigation is also expected to examine whether subscribers are being charged only for actual and properly delivered call durations, particularly where network-related failures prevent successful communication.
Among the consumer-protection measures raised in the motion are accessible complaint and redress channels, automatic refunds for verifiably failed calls, independent technical audits of operators’ billing systems and stricter enforcement of existing quality-of-service standards.
The proposals are intended to establish whether the deductions result from technical failures, weaknesses in billing systems or gaps in regulatory supervision. The committee is expected to use its findings to recommend appropriate legislative and regulatory measures.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the committee to begin its work immediately, warning that the legislature would not ignore persistent complaints from telecommunications subscribers.
Although he described the four-week reporting period as lengthy, Akpabio said the committee could be given the time to complete its assignment. He warned, however, that the Senate could take over the investigation as a Committee of the Whole if the report failed to address the concerns satisfactorily.
Under that arrangement, the Senate could invite telecommunications operators, the minister overseeing the sector and the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC to respond directly to questions from lawmakers.
Akpabio said the concerns of subscribers and the financial losses associated with avoidable service failures required urgent attention. He also raised questions about the effectiveness of supervision in the sector, stressing the need for engagement with the regulator and network providers.
The investigation places renewed attention on the responsibility of the NCC under the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, to regulate the industry, protect consumers and enforce acceptable service standards.
For subscribers, the outcome could have significant implications for how failed calls are billed, how complaints are resolved and whether customers receive refunds when deductions are found to be unjustified.
The committee’s report, expected within four weeks, will determine the scale of the alleged losses and provide the Senate with a basis for deciding whether further regulatory or legislative intervention is necessary.
