Telecom Operators Sue Nigerian House Over Service Probe

On November 4, telecommunications operators in Nigeria, including the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc (NGX: MTNN), Airtel Networks Limited, Globacom Limited, and Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited, filed a lawsuit against the House of Representatives in the Federal High Court in Abuja. The operators seek to prevent the House from investigating persistent poor network services, arguing that such authority lies with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2713/2026, challenges summonses issued on October 29 by the House's ad hoc committee on service quality, which required telecommunications CEOs to appear and provide documents. The operators assert that the National Assembly's investigative powers are limited by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution and that telecommunications companies are private entities not governed by these provisions.

They also cite the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and the Nigerian Communications (Quality of Service) Regulations, 2024, as empowering the NCC to oversee service quality standards. The operators argue that the investigation could interfere with ongoing court cases related to service quality.