Nigerian telecommunications companies recorded 413,587 consumer complaints in the first six months of 2026, as subscribers continued to report problems involving network quality, data depletion, billing and failed transactions.
Figures obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission showed that Airtel recorded 228,992 complaints, the highest among the operators.
MTN followed with 124,405, while Globacom recorded 56,810 and T2mobile had 3,885 complaints during the six-month period. Pasted markdown
The figures come at a time when telecommunications services have become increasingly central to banking, education, commerce, entertainment and remote work.
Operators Resolve 98.38% of Cases
Despite the large number of complaints, operators resolved 406,938 cases, representing 98.38 per cent of the total.
That indicates a high reported resolution rate, although the overall complaint volume shows the scale of customer-service challenges across the industry.
The issue has gained additional significance following the tariff adjustment approved by the NCC.
Consumers are paying more for telecommunications services at a time when mobile connectivity has become an essential part of everyday economic activity.
As prices increase, subscribers are also likely to expect improvements in service quality and greater transparency around billing and data consumption.
Data Depletion Remains Major Concern
One particularly contentious area is data depletion.
Between January and June, MTN received 12,212 complaints related to data depletion, while Airtel recorded 9,806.
Globacom recorded 1,373 and T2mobile five.
The supplied report states that complaints involving the three largest operators reached 23,391. Pasted markdown
Data-consumption complaints have become sensitive because subscribers may struggle to determine whether faster depletion results from changing application behaviour, device settings, higher-quality video and other content, or billing issues.
For the NCC and operators, the figures underline the need to improve network performance while providing consumers with clearer information about how data is consumed and billed.
The industry’s challenge will increasingly be judged not simply by infrastructure investment but by whether subscribers experience measurable improvements in reliability and value.
