Nigerian telecom providers will now be required to inform consumers of major network outages, according to a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The NCC has also launched a public portal where these outages will be reported.
The new directive mandates that telecom licensees must notify consumers about service disruptions through media channels. This notification should include the cause and location of the outage, as well as the estimated time for service restoration. Planned outages must be communicated to consumers one week in advance.
This directive is part of the NCC’s effort to ensure timely resolution of outages, improve service quality, and keep consumers informed. Providers will also be required to offer compensation, such as extended service validity, for outages lasting over 24 hours.
The NCC has identified three types of major outages that must be reported. These include outages affecting a significant percentage of subscribers or areas, unplanned outages affecting a large number of sites, and outages that degrade network quality in high-traffic states.
A new online portal, accessible through the NCC’s website, will be used by providers to report these outages. The portal will also identify those responsible for the disruptions.
The NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity stated that this move aims to increase accountability and transparency in the telecom industry. It also supports the protection of telecommunications infrastructure, which is designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) by the government
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