The House of Representatives has summoned the chief executive officers of major telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria over persistent poor network quality across the country.
The ad hoc committee investigating the poor services issued the summons on Wednesday, directing the heads of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), Mafab Communications Limited and other service providers to appear before it on October 28.
The committee reached the decision after lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the alleged failure of the executives to honour previous invitations.
It also directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that the telecom CEOs comply with the summons, threatening to issue arrest warrants against those who fail to appear.
The lawmakers want the companies to explain the persistent decline in network quality, which has disrupted communication and commercial activities for millions of subscribers and businesses nationwide.
Chairman of the committee, Olumide Osoba, said telecommunications had become central to Nigeria’s economy, extending beyond voice calls and internet access to essential commercial transactions, including point-of-sale (POS) payments.
He noted that businesses, financial services and other critical economic activities depend heavily on reliable telecommunications networks, adding that deteriorating service delivery was a national concern.
Osoba said the committee was established to investigate widespread subscriber complaints and identify the underlying causes of the substandard services.
An Abia lawmaker, Ibe Osonwa, said the executives’ failure to honour the invitations amounted to disregard for the legislature.
Osonwa argued that companies benefiting significantly from the Nigerian market should not ignore parliamentary invitations, particularly when the investigation concerns the quality of services they provide to customers and the wider economy.
The summons comes a day after the NCC disclosed that 75 million subscribers had received airtime compensation for poor telecommunications services in 2026.
The regulator said the intervention, implemented under its consumer compensation framework, was expected to translate into improved connectivity for subscribers.
