● Telecom consumers battle rising costs, dropped calls, and poor network quality
● NCC unveils draft guidelines to protect prepaid balances on inactive lines
As Nigeria’s telecom users grapple with rising call tariffs, frequent dropped calls, and network congestion, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has taken a new regulatory step to address one of the sector’s overlooked pain points: unclaimed and unutilised subscriber airtime.
On Tuesday, the NCC convened a stakeholder forum in Abuja to present a Draft Guidance Framework on managing prepaid balances on churned lines—mobile numbers that have been inactive for 12 months or more.
The move aims to strengthen consumer protection, increase billing transparency, and reinforce regulatory certainty amid intensifying public scrutiny of Nigeria’s telecom operators.
● A Consumer-Centric Pivot Amid Tariff Backlash
The policy proposal arrives in the wake of a controversial tariff hike introduced in early 2025, which saw mobile network operators—led by MTN Nigeria, Airtel Africa, Glo, and 9mobile—increase voice and data prices to reflect rising operational costs and currency devaluation.
Consumers have since flooded social media and regulatory channels with complaints of poor service delivery, citing frequent call drops, data inconsistencies, and persistent congestion in urban and semi-urban locations.
Analysts argue that the industry’s quality of service indicators have declined even as tariffs surged, raising questions about fairness and regulatory oversight.
● The Draft Framework: Protecting Consumer Balances
Speaking at the event, NCC Executive Vice-Chairman Aminu Maida, represented by Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management Rimini Makama, said the forum marked a pivotal step in shaping policies that balance consumer rights with industry sustainability.
“As the telecommunications industry continues to evolve, we must address emerging issues, including the fate of prepaid balances on inactive lines,” Maida stated.
Under the proposed rules, subscribers will have a 12-month grace period to reclaim unutilised airtime, provided they can verify ownership of the line.
The monetisation of unclaimed balances is strictly prohibited, and operators will instead offer service-based redemptions such as data or voice bundles.
● Legal Clarity and Global Alignment
NCC’s Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Chizua Whyte underscored the legal mandate for consumer protection and the need to align Nigeria’s telecom standards with international best practices.
“This draft ensures subscribers retain access to their purchased credits, while operators are given clearer responsibility for managing dormant lines,” Whyte explained.
The guidelines compel telecom operators to:
Notify users about pending forfeiture of airtime
*Launch consumer awareness campaigns
*Audit churned accounts
*Report unclaimed balances within a 90-day compliance window
The NCC, in turn, will conduct independent audits within 10 working days and apply penalties for non-compliance.
● Stakeholder Perspectives
Participants at the forum included mobile network operators, consumer advocacy groups, legal experts, and telecom industry analysts.
The consensus called for robust implementation and real-time accountability, especially as Nigeria’s mobile penetration exceeds 220 million active lines.
The NCC referenced practices from the United States, European Union, and India, where regulators have implemented systems that favour non-cash redemptions, enforce transparency in billing, and ensure timely notifications for dormant account actions.
● Toward Restoring Trust in Nigeria’s Telecom Market
The NCC’s initiative reflects a broader push to restore consumer trust and tackle mounting frustrations in Nigeria’s telecom landscape, where users continue to bear the brunt of poor service quality despite paying more.
As Nigeria positions itself as Africa’s largest digital economy, analysts say clear, enforceable consumer protections will be critical to ensuring the industry’s long-term credibility and investment attractiveness.
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