Airtel Nigeria recorded 228,992 consumer complaints between January and June 2026, the highest number among Nigeria’s four major mobile network operators, according to consumer statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The figures show that Airtel accounted for about 55.4 per cent of the 413,587 complaints reported across Airtel, MTN, Globacom and T2mobile during the first half of the year. However, the volume of complaints should not be interpreted on its own as a direct measure of service quality because the operators have substantially different subscriber bases.
MTN ranked second with 124,405 complaints, while Globacom recorded 56,810 and T2mobile, formerly 9mobile, reported 3,885.
Despite the large number of cases, the four operators collectively resolved 406,938 complaints, representing 98.38 per cent of the total received during the six-month period.
The NCC figures show significant differences in both complaint volumes and resolution rates.
- Airtel: 228,992 complaints; 99.38% resolved
- MTN: 124,405 complaints; 96.57% resolved
- Globacom: 56,810 complaints; 99.04% resolved
- T2mobile: 3,885 complaints; 88.57% resolved
The statistics cover complaints involving a range of telecommunications services, including network quality, billing, data depletion, failed payment transactions, airtime top-ups, number portability, value-added services and SIM-related matters.
The NCC publishes the data as part of its consumer-protection and regulatory monitoring responsibilities. The commission says the statistics help track complaint trends, service-quality concerns, compliance with regulatory obligations and how operators respond to customers.
Data usage was one of the prominent areas generating complaints during the period.
The four operators recorded 23,396 complaints related to data depletion between January and June 2026.
MTN recorded the highest number with 12,212 complaints, followed by Airtel with 9,806. Globacom recorded 1,373, while T2mobile had five.
The data-depletion figures are notable because they differ from the overall complaint ranking. Airtel led the operators in total complaints, but MTN recorded more complaints specifically relating to data depletion.
The NCC has previously explained that data consumption can be affected by factors including applications running in the background, automatic updates and device settings. It advises subscribers who dispute data usage to first contact their network provider and obtain a complaint or trouble-ticket number.
Airtel has also engaged customers over concerns surrounding data consumption. In April 2026, the company held a customer forum in Lagos focused on data usage, transparency and customer experience.
The raw complaint numbers provide useful information, but they do not by themselves establish which network performed worst.
The NCC’s consumer data includes a complaints-per-1,000-subscribers measure, designed to account for differences in the size of operators’ customer bases. The commission says this normalised metric allows more balanced comparisons between providers.
That distinction matters because the operators serve different numbers of subscribers. NCC industry statistics for July 2026, for example, put MTN at about 100.86 million subscribers, Airtel at 66.76 million, Globacom at 23.63 million and T2mobile at 3.61 million.
Consequently, Airtel’s 228,992 complaints indicate that it received the largest absolute volume during H1, but the figure should be read alongside subscriber numbers and complaint rates before drawing conclusions about relative service performance.
The complaints were handled under the regulatory framework established by the Quality of Service Business Rules 2024 and the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2024, according to the NCC.
For subscribers experiencing problems, the NCC advises consumers to first report the issue to their service provider and obtain a complaint reference or ticket number.
If the operator does not resolve the matter within the applicable timeline, consumers can escalate the complaint to the NCC.
The commission’s consumer guidance identifies several common areas for complaints, including:
- Poor voice or data service;
- Billing disputes;
- Data depletion;
- Failed transactions;
- Airtime or top-up problems;
- SIM-related issues;
- Value-added services; and
- Mobile number portability.
The NCC says a complaint ticket provides evidence of when the issue was reported and assists the regulator when investigating an unresolved case.
The H1 2026 figures give regulators and operators a detailed snapshot of the problems subscribers reported during a period of continued pressure on telecommunications services and consumer spending.
For Airtel, the high absolute complaint volume places particular attention on the operator’s customer-service response, even though its reported 99.38 per cent resolution rate shows that most complaints recorded during the period were marked as resolved.
For consumers, the more meaningful picture will emerge from continued monitoring of complaint rates, unresolved cases, service-quality indicators and complaints relative to subscriber numbers.
The NCC’s decision to publish the statistics also provides subscribers with greater visibility into how complaints are being recorded and addressed across the telecommunications industry.
