This Consumer Code of Practice (this "Code") is published pursuant to clause 6.1 "Code of Practice" of the Mobile Virtual Network Service License (Tier 3 Core Facilities Virtual Network Operator (CF-VNO) (the "License"), granted to Siu Telecommunications Network LTD ("Siutel" or the "Company"). The provisions of this Code are in addition to and not in reduction of the obligation of Siutel under the License and under the Nigerian Communications Act (the "Act"). Nothing in this Code affects your statutory rights and this Code does not form part of a contract or collateral contract between Siutel and you.
This code helps to explain what to do if things go wrong. It gives information on how to get a full explanation, together with a remedy. It sets out the complaints procedure and explains how to use it should the need arise. It also describes what to do if you have a complaint, how we will resolve it, and what you can do if you are not satisfied with our response.
Copies of this Code may be obtained by contacting Customer Care.
Provision of Information
(A) Description of Service
Siutel provides mobile virtual network services as a Tier 3 Core-Facilities Virtual Network Operator (CF-VNO) under a license granted by the Nigerian Communications Commission ("the Commission"). Through this license, Siutel offers a broad range of value-added services to individuals and businesses, including voice calls, data plans, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
In delivering its services, Siutel is committed to providing consumers with complete, accurate, and up-to-date information in clear language. The company shall also inform consumers of applicable compensation, refunds, or other remedies when agreed quality of service standards are not met, along with clearly defined procedures for dispute resolution.
(B) Service Contract and Duration
Prior to a consumer subscribing to Siutel's services, a detailed service contract shall be provided in plain and clear language. This contract must be reviewed and signed by the consumer prior to service activation. It governs the relationship between Siutel and the consumer and will include comprehensive information on service terms, advertising and representation, billing and charges, credit and collection practices, consumer rights and obligations, data protection, complaint handling procedures, general service overview, and contact details for support.
The contract shall also specify applicable service prices and duration. Any changes to pricing will be communicated to consumers in advance. Additionally, the contract will outline the terms of renewal, including the right to renew and any conditions attached to continued service usage.
(C) Service Subscription
Siutel shall provide consumers with clear information and instruction on the medium and procedure for subscribing to its services. The service subscription process must be clear, transparent, and accessible to all customers.
Subscription may be completed through Siutel online platforms. Customers must be informed of: available plans and services, pricing and billing frequency, and terms and conditions including any applicable usage limits or fair usage policies.
Customers must receive confirmation of subscription, including: subscribed plan or bundle details, billing cycle and payment method, and customer support contact details.
Customers have the right to cancel their subscription at any time, subject to any applicable contract terms. Siutel shall not impose unreasonable restrictions or penalties for cancellation. Upon cancellation, Siutel shall provide the customer with confirmation and outline of any final charges, if applicable.
(D) Opt In and Opt Out
Siutel shall inform consumers of their right to opt out of any subscribed service. To ensure that this is achieved, Siutel shall have readily accessible mechanisms to subscribe (opt in) to a service, renew a service or discontinue (opt out) a service to avoid consumers incurring further charges.
(E) Unsolicited SMS
Siutel shall ensure the prevention of Unsolicited SMS, including:
Siutel shall fully comply with the Commission's Do-Not-Disturb (DND) directive, which mandates that customers must not receive unsolicited marketing messages unless they have opted in. All promotional SMS content must be approved in line with NCC guidelines.
No promotional SMS shall be sent to any subscriber without their explicit opt-in consent. Consent must be obtained through verifiable means and specific to the type of content or service.
All promotional SMS must clearly inform customers of their right to opt out via the DND short code, replying "STOP" or "UNSUBSCRIBE", or a link to manage preferences. Opt-out requests must be processed within 24 hours, as mandated by the NCC.
Siutel may send transactional or service-related SMS (e.g., recharge alerts, data balance, service disruption notices) without requiring customer consent. Such messages must not contain promotional material.
Siutel shall implement measures to detect and prevent SMS spamming by third parties using the network and phishing or fraudulent messages. This includes traffic analysis, firewalls, and partnership with the commission and mobile network hosts.
Customers must be able to report unsolicited messages through designated support channels (support@siutel.com). Complaints shall be acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 5 working days.
Siutel shall regularly audit SMS practices to ensure compliance with the Commission's directives. Records of consent and opt-out shall be retained for verification and regulatory purposes.
(F) Contract Terms and Conditions
Siutel shall provide consumers, upon request, with a copy of the service contract or agreement in plain, clear, and understandable language. This contract shall comprehensively outline the terms and conditions governing the provision of services, including but not limited to:
- The commencement date of the contract
- The minimum contract term
- Minimum contract period and the manner and consequences of termination
- Situations that may lead to early termination where possible
- Conditions and terms of renewal of the contract, if applicable
- Conditions and terms of disconnection and reconnection and fees that may be charged
- Terms and conditions relating to refund of any deposit including timing and any deductions applicable
- Terms and conditions relating to the interruption, withdrawal or discontinuation of the service
- Terms and conditions relating to the delivery, installation or activation of the service
Advertisement and Representations of Service
(A) Availability of Service
Siutel shall make every effort to disclose any known geographical or technical limitations that may impact the availability or quality of its services. This information shall be included in all relevant advertising and promotional materials to ensure consumers are well-informed before subscribing.
Siutel shall clearly state in its advertising materials if a limitation will restrict the service offering to:
- A particular group of people
- A partial zone, region or other geographical area within the country
- A particular period of time
- Through the limited availability of equipment, facilities or other materials
(B) Advertisement of Packaged Services
Siutel shall ensure that it is able to supply all components of a service package as contained in advertising materials. Where Siutel is or may be unable to supply any component of the package, appropriate information about this limitation shall be included in the advertising materials. Advertising materials for packaged services indicating the price of each component shall also include a statement of the minimum total charge for the package, and indicate any conditions that may apply.
Siutel shall comply with the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice, Sales Promotion and Other Rights/Restrictions on Practice and all applicable Rules and Regulations with respect to advertising and representation of its services to the general public.
(C) Disclaimer
Siutel shall ensure that any disclaimer placed in an advertisement acknowledges the intended consumer, is written in clear and plain language, and that the disclaimer does not negate the principal message or object of the advertisement.
(D) Tele-Marketing
Siutel shall endeavor not to engage in unsolicited telemarketing. Where it does, the unsolicited telemarketing shall be in accordance with the general code (section 28) and shall at the time of communication of the service, afford consumers the opportunity to cancel the agreement by calling a dedicated telephone number, unless the service has by that time been supplied to and used by the consumer receiving the communication.
Complaint Handling
(A) Complaint Process
Siutel maintains Customer Complaints Handling procedures which ensure that:
Information on Siutel complaint handling processes is provided in various media and formats and is easily understandable.
Customers are aware of and can easily identify how a complaint may be lodged and any changes in the Complaint Handling Process shall be made available to the customer.
Siutel shall ensure that customers with physical disabilities or other special needs are able to access its Complaint Handling Process either by themselves or their authorized representatives or assigns.
Timelines are established for the resolution of complaints.
Dispute resolution process is established, including the right of the Customer to refer any complaint to the Commission if dissatisfied with the resolution of the complaint by Siutel.
Siutel provides access to contact its enquiry and complaint handling desk via email to support@siutel.com. Information on frequently asked questions and product and services information shall be communicated via the internet on www.siutel.ng.
Siutel operates a customer service desk, which is reachable via telephone at +2348137751523.
All customer complaints would be treated with the highest degree of professionalism by Siutel's customer-facing staff and with deference to the customer's right to complain.
Where possible, Siutel shall advise a customer when a complaint is made, of the expected actions and timing for investigating and resolving the complaint. In any event, no customer complaint shall remain unresolved for more than ninety (90) days.
Complaint handling processes shall be provided free of charge. However, Siutel may impose a reasonable charge for complaint handling processes where investigation of the complaint requires the retrieval of records more than twelve (12) months old, and where that retrieval results in any incremental expense or significant inconvenience. Any such charges shall be identified, communicated and agreed with the consumer before billing.
Siutel shall have an appropriate system of recording complaints and the outcomes of such complaints and shall ensure that the system is in conformity with the Commission's Quality of Service Regulations.
Siutel shall provide its customers with sufficient information and the means to inquire on the progress of complaints made and shall advise the customer of the outcome of the investigation of their complaint, and any resulting decision.
Siutel shall ensure that information collected and recorded in the complaint handling processes is retained for a minimum period of twelve (12) months following resolution of such complaint.
(B) Further Recourse
Siutel shall acknowledge all written customer complaints and act on them within the timeframes specified by the Nigerian Communications Commission's (NCC) Quality of Service Regulations, or any other directives issued by the Commission from time to time. Where possible, Siutel shall respond to complaints in the manner preferred by the customer (e.g., via email, phone, or written letter). Non-written complaints shall be considered acknowledged at the time they are received by Siutel.
If a complaint remains unresolved within the prescribed resolution period, it shall be escalated to the Commission. The matter will then be handled in accordance with the NCC's Dispute Resolution Guidelines or through any other resolution procedure the Commission considers appropriate under the circumstances.
(C) Data Collection and Analysis of Complaints and Outcomes
Siutel shall implement and maintain an appropriate system for recording, tracking, analyzing, and categorizing all customer complaints, as well as the outcomes of such complaints. This system shall comply with the Commission Quality of Service Regulations and shall be designed to identify root causes and prevent the recurrence of issues.
Upon request, Siutel shall provide customers with a summary of their complaint records in a clear, accessible, and understandable format. Additionally, all information gathered during the complaint handling process shall be retained for a minimum period of twelve (12) months following the resolution of the complaint.
(D) Retention of Records
All records pertaining to customer complaints received will be logged onto a database or an incident log and the information therein will be archived from time to time and stored to enable ease of retrieval for future reference. All logged complaints and queries shall carry a reference number, which the customer handling staff can use to call up and produce an incident report at any time in the future.
Consumer Obligations
To enable us to provide the highest quality of service to our customers, Siutel shall request that its esteemed customers comply with relevant statutory and regulatory instruments governing the use of telecommunication facilities. For the purpose of this Code of Consumer Practice, the following obligations have been highlighted by the Commission:
Upon return of a signed service agreement or on clearly accepting the service terms either by accepting the terms of service or by the commencement of use of the service after adequate communication of the service terms by Siutel, Customers shall be bound by Siutel's terms of service.
As reasonably required for the provision of service or maintenance of service, Customers shall allow Siutel or its authorized representatives, without charge, access to customer equipment or facilities as may be required.
Customers shall not use any equipment or related facilities provided by Siutel for reasons other than those related to normal service and shall not do anything that interferes with the functioning of such equipment or facilities. Without prior written authorization from Siutel, Customer shall be responsible for any loss of or damage to equipment or facilities that results from actions contrary to the service terms.
Customers are not authorised to re-sell any service provided by Siutel without Siutel's prior written consent or authorisation.
Protection of Consumer Information
(A) Data Gathering
Siutel may collect details relating to a customer only if relevant and necessary for the provision of the service or product that Siutel is engaged to provide, or for other legitimate purposes made known to the customer prior to the time the details are collected.
Siutel will use details relating to a customer only for permitted purposes which include:
- Siutel's internal marketing, billing or other purposes necessary for the provision of the service.
- Purposes made known to the customer prior to the time the details are collected.
- Other purposes with the prior consent of the customer whether given expressly or impliedly.
- Siutel may also be required to disclose confidential information about a customer where disclosure is mandated or required — including where required by Law, a Court of Law, a statutory organization (such as the Police), a regulatory body (such as the Commission), or where disclosure is in the Public Interest.
(B) Data Storage
Siutel is committed to safeguarding customer information in line with applicable data protection regulations and the data protection principles issued by the Commission. Appropriate technological and organizational safeguards are implemented to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of consumer data.
Siutel shall ensure that consumers are informed of how their data is processed, including the purpose, method, and duration of processing. Additionally, robust measures are in place to protect the confidentiality of consumer communications and data, ensuring that unauthorized access is prevented at all stages.
As part of Siutel's Protection of Consumer Information Policy, all employees are prohibited from disclosing any customer data obtained in the course of service delivery. Employees are required to adhere to Siutel's internal Consumer Data Protection Code, which establishes personal accountability for maintaining confidentiality and compliance with data protection standards.
(C) Data Sharing
Siutel ensures that any other service provider or third party with whom it shares or discloses customer information adopts and implements appropriate and efficient Protection of Consumer Information Policy.
Consumer Billing
Siutel's Consumer Billing Policy is designed to ensure that all billing is accurate, timely, and verifiable. Customers will receive invoices containing sufficient details to allow for clear verification of charges. This promotes transparency and helps customers understand and manage their service usage and related costs. Upon request, Siutel shall provide customers with up-to-date and accurate information regarding its billing terms, conditions, and any available billing options relevant to their service plan. To support dispute resolution and auditability, all customer invoices and billing-related records shall be retained for a minimum period of twelve (12) months.
(A) Billing Information
Siutel shall ensure that customer bills include sufficient information including but not limited to:
Customer billing name and address
Siutel's business name, address and registered number
Bill number as a unique identifier
The billing period
Description of the charges based on the contract to which the bill applies
Total amount billed, applicable credit, discounts, and net amount payable by the customer
The date on which the bill is issued, any bill or refund payment date, the methods of bill payment
Guidelines for billing enquiries, complaints, penalties for non-payment of bills
(B) Timing of Issuance of Bill
Bills shall be issued within Ten (10) days of the closure of each period except where otherwise agreed in the contract with the Customer. A bill shall include all charges incurred during the billing period except where:
There exists a separate agreement with the Customer to the contrary
There is a delay because of Siutel's inclusion of information from other suppliers or service providers in the bill
There is a delay as a result of a change initiated by the Customer, such as where the Customer has requested a different billing frequency or billing period
There is a delay as a result of the suspension of charges that are in dispute
There has occurred a billing system or processing problem, in which case the problem shall be rectified and bills issued without undue delay
Billing is delayed by circumstances beyond the reasonable control of Siutel
(C) Billing Frequency
Siutel shall provide a prepaid option for customers which entails a wallet system where customers can top up their wallet using digital payment channels made available by Siutel. This enables customers to credit their wallet and purchase airtime or bundles, with usage deductions and top-up confirmations communicated in real time or with minimal delay.
For postpaid plans, payments shall be made in accordance with the provisions entailed in the Customer's contract of service, which shall include the monthly subscription plan and monthly renewal. Customers shall be billed in accordance with the agreed billing cycle, typically monthly. The standard billing cycle must be monthly, unless otherwise agreed with the customer and specified clearly in the service agreement.
All bills must clearly itemize: charges (data, voice, SMS, roaming, etc.), fees, any discounts or credits, and the total amount due and due date.
(D) Payment Confirmation
Siutel shall ensure it acknowledges any payment made by Customer through a designated email address. Customers can also verify their bill payment through designated Account Managers.
Siutel shall provide Customers with sufficient advance notification of any proposed changes in billing periods. Where a customer has not paid all or part of a bill for the services provided, any measure taken by Siutel shall:
- Be proportionate and not unduly discriminatory
- Be accompanied by appropriate warning to the Customer in advance of any resulting service interruption or disconnection
- Confine any service interruption or disconnection to the service(s) concerned, as far as technically feasible
Code Administration
This Consumer Code of Practice shall be administered by Siutel in accordance with the Nigerian Communications Commission's (NCC) Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, 2024 (as amended). Siutel shall ensure that the Code is accessible to consumers through its website, customer service channels, and on request in either printed or electronic format.