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Elegbede Abiodun
The National Association of Nigerian Students has defended that the recent directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission mandating compensation for poor network services is the outcome of a structured regulatory process, not a response to public pressure or individual agitation.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its National Vice Chairman, Ahmad Mallawa, the student body stressed that the commission had been working on consumer compensation measures well before the issue gained wider public attention.
According to NANS, the NCC had already commenced steps toward compensating subscribers as far back as March 2026.
The statement read in part, “For the avoidance of doubt, this directive is not a reaction to any recent individual comment or public outcry. The process leading to this decision has been ongoing, with the Commission’s position and regulatory direction clearly established as far back as March 29, 2026.
“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading for anyone to claim personal credit for a policy that is the product of institutional planning, regulatory review, and sustained commitment by the NCC to protect Nigerian consumers.”
NANS further urged stakeholders and the public to prioritise factual accuracy, warning against attempts to distort the narrative surrounding the policy.
“While NANS encourages active civic engagement, we strongly caution against the spread of narratives that distort facts or seek to personalise national policy achievements. The NCC, as an independent regulator, deserves full recognition for this proactive and consumer-focused directive. Undermining this process by attributing it to individual influence diminishes the integrity of our institutions.
“NANS remains committed to promoting truth, responsible advocacy, and giving credit where it is rightly due,” the statement added.
The NCC directive follows widespread complaints by telecom subscribers across the country over deteriorating service quality, including dropped calls, sluggish internet speeds, and failed SMS deliveries, issues that became particularly pronounced between November 2025 and January 2026.
In response, the regulator undertook a performance review of telecommunications operators and invoked its consumer protection mandate to enforce compensation where service standards were not met.
Under the directive, affected subscribers are to receive compensation, often in the form of service credits such as bonus data or airtime, from telecom operators for verified service lapses within the specified period.
The move aligns with existing quality-of-service regulations designed to hold operators accountable and improve overall user experience.
However, the announcement of the compensation framework has also sparked a wave of public claims, with some individuals and groups attempting to take credit for influencing the policy.
These claims have circulated largely on social and traditional media, prompting clarifications from stakeholders, including NANS, which insists that the initiative is rooted in the NCC’s long-standing regulatory processes rather than any single advocacy effort.
By restating the timeline and institutional basis of the directive, NANS sought to reinforce confidence in regulatory mechanisms and underscore the importance of acknowledging the role of established institutions in driving consumer-focused reforms within Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
