If your network keeps dropping calls, eats your data or deducts airtime for services you never asked for, you can take the complaint to the Nigerian Communications Commission, the regulator that licenses MTN, Airtel, Glo and T2. The rule is simple: complain to your network first, keep the complaint ticket number, and if it is not fixed, escalate to the NCC by calling 622 free or filing its online form.
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The NCC will only act on your complaint after you have given your own network a chance to fix it, so the ticket number from your first complaint is your most important document.
Who this guide is for
Anyone with a Nigerian SIM or internet subscription who has a problem their provider has not solved: poor network, failed recharges, wrong billing, unwanted value-added services, porting delays, spam messages or bad customer care. It covers mobile networks and internet providers such as Spectranet, Smile and ipNX, which are on the NCC's complaint form too.
Step 1: Complain to your network first
The NCC's own procedure starts here. Contact your service provider through its customer care line or visit one of its customer care centres. When you do:
- Describe the problem clearly, with dates, times and the location where it happens.
- Ask for a complaint ticket or reference number and write it down. You will need it if you escalate.
- Note the date you first complained.
- Keep evidence: screenshots of failed transactions, debit messages, speed tests or the dates and times calls dropped.
Give the network a fair chance to respond. If it does not resolve the problem, or you are not satisfied with the answer, move to Step 2.
Step 2: Escalate to the NCC
The NCC lists these channels for complaints a provider has failed to resolve:
| Channel | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Toll-free contact centre | Call 622 from your phone |
| Online complaint form | consumer.ncc.gov.ng, under Consumer Complaints |
| consumer@ncc.gov.ng | |
| Social media | x.com/consumersNCC, x.com/NgComCommission, or the NCC's Facebook and Instagram pages |
| Phone lines | +234 209 461 7000 or +234 209 461 7514 |
| Letter | The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Plot 423 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Attention: Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau |
| Walk-in | NCC zonal offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt |
For most people, 622 or the online form is fastest. Use email or a letter when you want a written record or need to attach many documents.
Step 3: Fill the online form correctly
The NCC complaint form asks for the following. Have it ready before you start:
| What the form asks | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Have you contacted your service provider? | Yes, if you have done Step 1 |
| Date of first complaint | The date you first reported it to your network |
| Complaint ticket ID number | The reference your network gave you |
| Service provider | Your network or internet provider |
| Mobile phone number | The affected line |
| Type of complaint | Pick the closest category from the list below |
| Complaint description and details | What happened, when, where and what you have already tried |
| What would you like NCC to do? | Investigate and resolve, provide information, or explain your rights |
| Your name, city, state and email | So the NCC can reach you |
The complaint types on the form are: billing, call centre or customer care, quality of service for voice, quality of service for data, quality of experience, faulty terminals, BTS (mast) issues, sales promotions and advertising, recharge or top-up issues, SMS and MMS, other SIM issues, SIM replacement, value-added services, mobile number portability, do-not-disturb, international roaming and other.
How to write a complaint that gets action
Officials read many complaints a day. Make yours easy to act on:
- One problem per complaint. A billing complaint and a network complaint should be filed separately.
- Be specific. "Calls drop every evening between 7pm and 10pm on my street in Gwarinpa since 3 October" is far more useful than "network is bad."
- Give numbers. How much airtime was deducted, on which dates, and for which service.
- Say what you want. A refund, a fix, an explanation or the removal of a service.
- Attach evidence when you email: screenshots, debit messages, speed test results.
A short example: "MTN line 0803 XXX XXXX. Since 12 October I have lost ₦200 a day to a subscription I did not request. I complained to MTN on 14 October, ticket number XXXX. The deductions continue. I want the service removed and a refund."
Operators' official escalation contacts
The NCC's complaint form lists these escalation emails for each provider. They are worth copying when you email the regulator:
| Provider | Escalation email listed by the NCC |
|---|---|
| MTN Nigeria | nccqcontactcentre@mtn.com |
| Airtel Nigeria | nccresolution@ng.airtel.com |
| Glo Nigeria | gloncccontact@gloworld.com |
| 9mobile (T2) | nccescalations@9mobile.com.ng |
| Spectranet | care@spectranet.com.ng |
| Smile | customercare@smile.com.ng |
| Ntel | careescalations@ntel.com.ng |
Common problems and where to start
| Problem | Best first step |
|---|---|
| Spam texts and unwanted promotions | Use the do-not-disturb service on 2442, then complain if it continues |
| Airtime deducted for services you did not request | Cancel the service, ask your network for a refund, then escalate with the ticket number |
| Failed recharge or data purchase | Report to your bank and network; the NCC says it built its refund framework with the CBN so you are not passed between the two |
| Poor network at home | Report it to your network with your exact location; Airtel users can also use Open Network in the MyAirtel app |
| Porting not completed | Complain to the network you are moving to, then escalate under mobile number portability |
| Scam calls from local numbers showing foreign activity | Email consumerportal@ncc.gov.ng with the number, date and time of the call |
Frequently asked questions
Is calling 622 free?
Yes. The NCC lists 622 as its toll-free contact centre.
Can I go straight to the NCC without contacting my network?
The NCC's procedure says to complain to your service provider first. The online form asks whether you have done so and for the ticket number, so skipping Step 1 will slow your complaint down.
Does the NCC handle internet providers too?
Yes. Spectranet, Smile, ipNX, Tizeti, FibreOne and other providers appear on its complaint form.
What if I have no ticket number?
Call your network again and ask for one before escalating. A reference number is the proof that you gave the network a chance to fix the problem.
Complain to your network first, keep the ticket number, then escalate to the NCC on 622 or its online form. A specific complaint with evidence is the one that gets fixed.
Last reviewed: 2 November 2026.
