The House of Representatives has given MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other telecom operators seven days to explain persistent poor network services across the country.

The ultimatum came on Wednesday during a public hearing in Abuja, where the lawmakers directed the companies’ chief executives to appear before the committee on October 28, 2026.

The decision followed the adoption of two motions sponsored by Reps. Sunday Umeha and Afam Ogene.

The committee expressed displeasure over the failure of some operators, including MTN and Mafab Communications, to honour previous invitations.

The lawmakers directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure compliance and ordered the operators to submit relevant documents before the hearing, scheduled for 2 p.m. at Hearing Room 447 of the New Building of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

They warned that any chief executive who failed to appear could face an arrest summons.

Committee chairman, Rep. Olumide Osoba (APC-Ogun), said reliable telecommunications services were essential to Nigeria’s economy, supporting businesses, financial transactions and everyday communication.

He said the House established the ad hoc committee to investigate recurring subscriber complaints and identify the causes of poor service delivery.

Osoba also criticised operators for sending lower-ranking officials or offering excuses instead of allowing their chief executives to answer questions about network performance and operational challenges.

Also speaking, Rep. Ibe Osonwa condemned the operators’ failure to honour the invitations, despite the revenue they generate from Nigeria.

He said telecom companies must account for the quality of services they provide and warned that the House would not tolerate attempts to frustrate its investigation.

The ultimatum follows renewed concerns over network reliability and subscriber complaints. On October 20, the NCC reported that operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million others received refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.

The commission also reported more than 6,500 network interventions this year, including equipment upgrades and capacity expansion aimed at improving service delivery.

The concerns followed a network disruption reported by MTN subscribers on October 8 in parts of Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory.

Reports indicated that the disruption lasted more than five hours, leaving some customers unable to communicate or complete transactions.

NCC figures also showed that the four major operators recorded 413,587 consumer complaints in the first half of 2026. Airtel accounted for 228,992 complaints, MTN recorded 124,405, Globacom had 56,810, while T2mobile recorded 3,885.

Although operators reported resolving 406,938 complaints, concerns over call quality, internet speed, billing and failed transactions have persisted.

In April 2026, the NCC introduced an automatic airtime compensation framework for eligible subscribers affected by failures to meet prescribed quality-of-service standards.

Despite these measures, the House committee wants operators to explain why service problems persist and outline concrete steps to improve network quality.

Osoba directed the NCC to ensure that the companies meet the October 28 deadline and submit the required documents.