NCC, telcos under pressure to slash tariff hike
Telecom operators and the Nigerian Communications Commission are expected to revert to the 35 per cent telecom tariff hike agreed upon with the Federal Government, as subscribers decry the continued implementation of the 50 per cent increase.
Subscribers, under the umbrella of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, said sustaining the 50 per cent hike despite a compromise deal brokered by the government amounts to a breach of trust. They urged the NCC to enforce compliance with the new tariff adjustment.
The tariff hike was initially approved by the NCC in February 2025, after telecom operators requested the increase, citing rising operational costs driven by high diesel prices, inflation, and insecurity. However, the decision triggered widespread backlash, prompting the Nigeria Labour Congress to threaten a nationwide protest.
In response, the Federal Government set up a 10-man committee composed of representatives of the government and regulators to review the tariff hike. The NLC, which had planned to embark on the protest on March 1, 2025, suspended the action after the committee agreed to reduce the hike to 35 per cent.
However, telecom operators had already implemented the 50 per cent hike two weeks before the committee concluded its work, leaving many customers paying the higher rates on voice calls, SMS, and data services.
NATCOMS President Deolu Ogunbanjo said the outcome was widely accepted by stakeholders, making the continued implementation of the higher tariff unfair to subscribers.
“The committee agreed on a 35 per cent tariff hike, not 50 per cent, as earlier approved by the NCC. The Federal Government intervened to protect consumers, and now that the agreement has been reached, the NCC and telcos should honour it,” he said.
He also noted that the government’s plan to build 7,000 telecom masts across the country to improve service quality was a clear sign of support for the industry.
“When the Federal Government is investing in infrastructure to boost service delivery, telcos have no justification to maintain higher tariffs. They should reciprocate by reverting to the agreed rate,” Ogunbanjo added.
The Chairman of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, said operators were yet to receive any official directive from the NCC to cut prices to 35 per cent, describing reports of a reduction as “hearsay”.
“There is no official statement, it’s just hearsay for now. We haven’t heard anything from NCC,” Emoekpere said.
Calls put through to the NCC’s Director of Publicity, Reuben Mouka, were also not answered at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the labour union issued a statement on Sunday warning against the FG’s potential implementation of telecommunication service charges that contradict the terms agreed upon by a 10-man committee, signalling the possibility of a nationwide protest.
“We remain vigilant, recognising the long history of infidelity. We categorically warn that should the implementation of the agreement on March 1, 2025, not be as agreed, the National Administrative Council is mandated to immediately deploy all necessary instruments to enforce compliance in line with the February 10, 2025, Central Working Committee directive,” part of the statement read.
