The House of Representatives has threatened to order the arrest of chief executives of telecommunications companies who fail to appear before its investigative committee to explain persistent network problems affecting subscribers across Nigeria.

The lawmakers gave operators, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and Mafab Communications, seven days to appear before the committee, following concerns over the declining quality of telecommunications services.

The directive was issued by the House Ad Hoc Committee investigating the quality of telecommunications services during a public hearing in Abuja on October 21, 2026. The committee scheduled the next hearing for October 28 at the National Assembly Complex.

The decision followed the failure of some telecommunications operators, including MTN and Mafab Communications, to honour earlier invitations from the lawmakers.

The committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba, directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that all affected companies attend the hearing and submit relevant documents explaining the challenges affecting their services.

Osoba said telecommunications had become essential to Nigeria’s economy, supporting not only phone calls and internet access but also commercial activities, banking transactions and Point of Sale operations.

He expressed concern that persistent network disruptions were affecting individuals and businesses that rely on stable connectivity to conduct daily activities.

The committee chairman explained that the investigation was established in response to recurring complaints from subscribers about dropped calls, slow internet speeds, unstable connections and inadequate network coverage.

He also criticised telecommunications executives who failed to attend previous invitations, saying some companies had reportedly sent lower-ranking officials instead of their chief executives.

Osoba insisted that the CEOs should appear personally to explain their companies’ operational challenges, service delivery obligations and measures being taken to improve network performance.

Another committee member, Ibe Osonwa, criticised the operators for failing to honour the lawmakers’ invitations despite generating substantial revenue from their operations in Nigeria.

He maintained that companies providing essential services to millions of Nigerians should be prepared to account for the quality of their services and respond to concerns raised by their customers.

The lawmakers warned that any chief executive who failed to comply with the invitation could face an arrest summons to compel their appearance.

The NCC was subsequently directed to ensure that the affected operators attended the hearing with the required documents and explanations.

The investigation is expected to examine the causes of recurring network failures, the investments made by telecommunications companies and the measures needed to improve service delivery for subscribers nationwide.