MTN Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting customers from unwanted subscriptions and unfair third-party services, highlighting stricter monitoring, service shutdowns and consumer-focused policies to strengthen trust.
MTN Nigeria has pledged to intensify efforts to tackle unwanted subscriptions and questionable third-party value-added services as part of its commitment to protecting customers from unfair practices.
Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Nigeria, gave the assurance on Thursday, October 22, 2026, while addressing Cohort 5 participants of the MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) in Lagos.
Okigbo said the telecommunications company regularly monitors third-party service providers and withdraws network access when their activities raise concerns about customer protection.
He disclosed that MTN shut down most third-party subscription services around 2017 following concerns about how some providers attracted customers into subscriptions, a move aimed at strengthening consumer protection and ensuring fair treatment.
According to him, the decision exposed the company to pressure from regulators and other stakeholders but reinforced the importance of putting customers first.
Okigbo explained that MTN’s experience had demonstrated a direct relationship between customer trust and business growth.
He cited the company’s Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) initiative as an example of how improved customer confidence could encourage subscribers to spend more on telecommunications services.
“When we did TCF, the people have trust. They started leaving more money in their accounts. They started buying,” he said.
He added that empirical evidence showed that customers were more willing to patronise businesses they trusted.
“But, if they are afraid that their money will disappear without their knowledge they will not be interested in your services,” he said.
Okigbo also cited the shutdown of a major betting company as another example of MTN’s willingness to deny network access to third-party providers over concerns about their operations.
The MTN executive’s remarks followed questions from participants about complaints on social media concerning unsolicited subscription messages and customers being enrolled in services without their consent.
One participant expressed concern about elderly customers who might struggle to understand subscription notifications or navigate the process of cancelling unwanted services.
In response, Okigbo said customers could use the harmonised short codes established by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to contact customer-care services across telecommunications networks.
He acknowledged that third-party service providers would continue looking for ways to attract customers but stressed that telecom operators must remain vigilant in identifying and addressing practices that could harm subscribers.
“People will always look for the shortcuts. They will find them. Our job is to keep looking for how to short it,” he said.
MTN Nigeria’s position underscores the importance of effective consumer protection, transparent subscription practices and accessible complaint-resolution channels in building trust between telecommunications operators and their customers.
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