Fix your network! Reps summon MTN, Airtel, Glo CEOs, threaten arrest over poor service

• The House of Representatives has summoned telecom CEOs to appear on October 28, 2026.

• MTN, Airtel, Glo, Mafab Communications and other operators are expected to attend.

• The lawmakers want explanations for persistent network disruptions affecting subscribers and businesses.

• CEOs who fail to appear could face arrest summons to compel their attendance.

For many Nigerians, making a phone call, sending a message or completing a simple online transaction can sometimes turn into a frustrating experience when network service fails.

Dropped calls, painfully slow internet speeds and failed Point of Sale (POS) transactions have continued to frustrate subscribers and businesses that depend on reliable telecommunications services.

Now, the House of Representatives wants answers from the people in charge of the companies providing those services.

The lawmakers have summoned the chief executive officers of major telecommunications operators, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo) and Mafab Communications, to explain the persistent decline in network quality across the country.

The House Ad Hoc Committee investigating telecommunications service quality issued the directive at a public hearing in Abuja on Wednesday, October 21, giving the operators seven days to appear before it.

The committee scheduled the hearing for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. in Hearing Room 447 of the New Building of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The decision followed the failure of some invited operators, including MTN and Mafab Communications, to honour earlier invitations from the committee.

The lawmakers also directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that the affected companies comply with the invitation. The operators are expected to submit relevant documents ahead of the hearing and explain the challenges affecting their services.

Chairman of the committee, Olumide Osoba, said telecommunications services had become essential to Nigeria’s economy, extending beyond phone calls and internet access to activities such as business operations, financial transactions and POS payments.

He said the committee was established to investigate recurring complaints from subscribers and identify the factors responsible for poor service delivery.

Osoba also expressed displeasure over the failure of some company executives to engage directly with the lawmakers, accusing them of offering excuses or sending lower-ranking officials in their place.

The committee expects the chief executives to attend personally because they are better positioned to explain their companies’ operational challenges, service obligations and plans to improve network quality.

The warning was particularly firm: chief executives who fail to honour the invitation could face an arrest summons to compel them to appear before the lawmakers.

Another committee member, Ibe Osonwa, criticised the operators for allegedly disregarding the House despite the revenue they generate from their operations in Nigeria.

He maintained that telecommunications companies must be held accountable for the quality of services they provide, especially when poor connectivity affects millions of customers and businesses.

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The investigation comes amid continuing complaints about network reliability. On October 20, the NCC reported that 75 million subscribers had received airtime compensation for poor service in 2026 under its consumer compensation framework.

The commission also reported thousands of network interventions aimed at improving connectivity, including equipment upgrades and capacity expansion. However, subscriber complaints have continued.

The October 28 hearing is expected to give lawmakers an opportunity to question the operators about the causes of recurring disruptions, their investment in network infrastructure and the steps they intend to take to improve service delivery.

For subscribers who have spent time struggling to make calls or complete transactions because of poor connectivity, the central question remains whether the investigation will lead to measurable improvements in the quality of telecommunications services across Nigeria.