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•Urges FG to declare state of emergency on electricity
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to reconsider its opposition to the recently approved 50% tariff hike for telecom services, arguing that the increase is justifiable given the current economic realities.
The council, which had initially planned a protest against the hike, has now called it off after a detailed review of the financial situation of telecom operators and engagements with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the NCSCN leadership led by its Executive Director of, Blessing Akinlosote revealed that after an emergency meeting and a four-hour engagement with the NCC, it became clear that telecom service providers have been operating under immense financial strain.
According to the CSO, there has been no tariff adjustment since 2013, despite rising inflation and increasing costs of doing business in Nigeria. Factors such as the skyrocketing cost of electricity and diesel, coupled with security challenges and frequent vandalization of infrastructure, have made it difficult for telecom operators to maintain profitability and sustain quality service delivery.
The council also noted that while the 50% increase appears high, it is only an upper limit, meaning competition among service providers may prevent them from fully applying the hike.
It noted further that the NCC has imposed conditions on telecom operators, requiring them to enhance service quality before implementing any tariff adjustments. NCSCN said that as economic conditions improve, telecom rates may naturally decline, as has been the trend in the past two decades.
The council therefore, urged the NLC to reconsider its stance on the tariff hike, warning that outright opposition could lead to a systemic collapse of telecom services in Nigeria.
NCSCN is also appealing to telecom operators to act in good faith by keeping their tariff adjustments as minimal as possible to reduce the financial burden on consumers. Additionally, it has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector to address the root causes of rising operational costs, including forex fluctuations and unstable power supply.
“We call on the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently declare a State of Emergency in the Energy Sector of our National Economy and ensure further improvement in the Security Architecture, with equal attention to reducing the Rate of Forex in favour of the Naira, which are the Primary Causes of High Cost of Productions and doing business in the Country,” the group stated.
