OccupyMTN protest looms as Sowore issues 7-day ultimatum to telecom operators

Omoyele Sowore has announced a nationwide #OccupyMTN protest, rejecting the NCC’s directive for airtime compensation over poor network quality and accusing telecom operators and regulators of exploiting subscribers.

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has declared a nationwide protest tagged #OccupyMTN, accusing MTN Nigeria, other telecom operators and Nigerian telecommunications regulators of deceiving Nigerians and enabling systemic exploitation of subscribers. The move followed the Nigerian Communications Commission’s directive to telecom operators to compensate subscribers for poor network quality through airtime credits under a strengthened regulatory enforcement framework nationwide.

In a statement posted on X on Thursday night, Sowore criticised the NCC for what he described as superficial measures rather than substantive reforms in the telecommunications sector. “The Nigerian Communications Commission thinks it could mislead Nigerians by endorsing superficial remedies instead of insisting on meaningful reforms,” he wrote. He further faulted the agency for advising MTN Nigeria and other operators to offer airtime token compensation to subscribers for poor network services instead of tackling deeper structural challenges affecting millions of users.

The protest call has intensified debate over service quality and consumer protection in the telecom sector, with Sowore insisting that regulatory authorities and operators must be held accountable. The NCC had earlier said the compensation directive formed part of efforts to strengthen enforcement and improve service delivery, but the activist argued that the measure falls short of addressing longstanding complaints by subscribers.

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