The House of Representatives has threatened to issue arrest warrants against telecommunications company chief executives who fail to appear before its committee investigating persistent poor network services across Nigeria.
The lawmakers have directed the executives to appear before the ad hoc committee on November 4, 2026, to explain recurring complaints about dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime and data transactions, and inadequate network coverage.
The affected operators include MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other licensed telecommunications companies.
The committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba, rejected an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the companies through its chairman, Gbenga Adebayo.
The lawmakers insisted that the chief executives and senior management officials must personally account for their companies’ service delivery rather than delegate the responsibility to an industry association.
Moving a motion on the matter, lawmaker Sunday Umeha argued that the operators held individual licences issued by the Federal Government and could not use their membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the committee.
He also criticised a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority to compel the companies to attend the hearing.
Citing Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Umeha maintained that the National Assembly had the power to investigate matters within its legislative competence, including the implementation of government policies.
He said the committee was entitled to demand the individual appearance of the operators unless it expressly approved representation.
A representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission told the committee that invitations had been sent directly to the chief executives.
Umeha disclosed that the committee had previously considered seeking arrest warrants against the executives but decided to give them another opportunity to comply. He added that the operators had again failed to honour the invitation despite further communication through the commission.
House spokesman Akin Rotimi, who seconded the motion, also opposed ALTON’s attempt to represent the companies collectively, arguing that subscribers dealt directly with individual service providers and deserved accountability for poor services.
Rotimi raised concerns about inadequate network coverage in parts of his constituency in Ekiti State, warning that signal blackouts in some communities and along major roads could endanger lives.
He alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency had been killed in an ambush along a road where mobile network signals were unavailable for about 20 minutes.
According to him, such connectivity gaps could prevent residents and travellers from contacting security agencies or requesting emergency assistance during attacks.
The lawmaker also accused operators of concentrating telecommunications infrastructure in commercially attractive locations while neglecting rural communities and underserved areas.
The committee further questioned Adebayo over a reported ₦8.46bn fine imposed on Globacom, raising concerns about whether he could adequately address regulatory and operational issues involving an individual company while representing the industry association.
Following deliberations, the lawmakers adopted Umeha’s motion through a voice vote and adjourned the hearing until November 4.
The operators are expected to explain the causes of the persistent service failures and outline measures to improve network quality, coverage and compliance with regulatory requirements.
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