Nigerian Telecom Operators Face Backlash For Boycotting National Dialogue On Exploitations
Nigerian Telecom Operators Face Backlash For Boycotting National Dialogue On Exploitations 
The absence drew swift condemnation from participants who branded the operators as cowards fleeing accountability.
Some major telecommunications service providers, including MTN, Globacom, and others, have boycotted the National Civil Society Dialogue on Telecommunication and Data Service Provision in Nigeria,
The dialogue was held on Thursday, 27th of August at the Nigerian Army Resources Centre, Asokoro, Abuja.
The high-stakes event, designed as a tripartite dialogue between operators, regulators, and exploited consumers, proceeded despite the conspicuous absence of the service providers.
The absence drew swift condemnation from participants who branded the operators as cowards fleeing accountability.
Delivering a keynote address at the event, Dr. Sunday Akin Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, underscored the critical role of telecommunications as a driver of national economic and GDP growth.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Dare acknowledged Nigeria’s massive digital footprint, noting that active subscriptions are approaching 190 million and broadband penetration had crossed 50%.
However, he minced no words regarding the mounting frustrations of the Nigerian public.
“Growth in subscriber numbers alone is not enough. The quality of service experienced by citizens must improve at the same pace as investment and expansion. The Nigerian consumer increasingly expects reliability, transparency and value,” Dr. Dare asserted.
While acknowledging the severe macroeconomic headwinds faced by operators—such as soaring energy costs, foreign exchange pressures, multiple taxation, and infrastructural vandalism—Dr. Dare insisted that network operators must embrace a renewed social contract.
He called for enhanced billing transparency, simplified consumer usage dashboards, and aggressive investments in network optimisation.
Despite the government’s balanced approach, the mood on the floor was unforgiving.
The convener of the National Civil Society Dialogue and President of the movement, Comrade Blessing Akinlosotu, alongside participants, expressed displeasure over the empty seats reserved for the service providers, interpreting their absence as a clear admission of guilt and disdain for the Nigerian subscribers.
Participants decried the relentless financial bleeding inflicted on everyday citizens through sudden data depletion, recurring dropped calls, inflated tariffs, and systemic exploitation.
Voicing the frustration of millions of exploited Nigerians, a participant identified as Mrs. Grace demanded immediate, punitive measures against the networks.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Assembly must summon these service providers without delay to answer for this relentless, predatory exploitation of the masses,” Mrs. Grace declared to roaring applause.
The dialogue concluded with a stern 10-point communiqué reaffirming telecommunications as a strategic national asset, while demanding strict quality-of-speed monitoring, robust infrastructure sharing, and uncompromised consumer protection.
As the dust settles in Asokoro, the message to MTN, Glo, and other defaulting operators is clear: hiding behind empty chairs will no longer shield them from public reckoning.
The Nigerian consumers have found their voice, and the era of unchecked exploitation faces a fast-approaching wall.
