Nigerian telecom operators must ensure that tariff simplification does not impede the quality of telephony services in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.
This was contained in a “Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector (As Amended),” dated November 2024 and released by the commission.
The document, signed by the Executive Chairman of the commission, Dr Aminu Maida said, compliance with standards and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set out in the Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations is mandatory.
The NCC said any degradation in service quality due to tariff changes or promotions must be addressed immediately.
Citing its powers granted by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, the commission said operators must report QoS metrics as part of their quarterly submissions.
The NCC said that the issuance of the new framework was a sequel to a considerable number of consultations, which the Commission had made with the telecoms industry, and other stakeholders in the ecosystem in the West African countries.
The guideline is the “outcome of consultations with industry stakeholders, including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Consumer Focus Groups, and extensive data analysis on consumer preferences and expectations.”
The commission said the number of tariff plans offered per operator is limited to seven and that the number of bundles offered per operator is limited to 100.
It, however, said device financing was not counted as part of the tariff plans, adding that Fixed Broadband/Fibre plans had been excluded from the bundle cap/count.
Also, the NCC requested all licensees to channel any issues they might have on the actual implementation of the guidance directly to the Commission for attention.
This step, the commission said, is to ensure transparency and fairness of promotional elements of tariff plans, and protect consumers’ interests by providing clear and understandable tariff information.
