•We’ll unveil new charges in 2 weeks –NCC •NATCOMS kicks, says increase’ll worsen economic woes
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, on Wednesday, announced that an increase in telecom tariffs is on the horizon, with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) set to issue a clear directive shortly.
He, however, ruled out a 100 per cent hike.
The announcement comes after a stakeholders meeting with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Abuja, where Tijani disclosed that consultations and discussions are actively ongoing to address the issue. The MNOs have proposed a 100 per cent increase in telecom tariffs, citing the need to align with current market conditions and ensure the continued provision of high-quality services.
However, the minister stated that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will soon approve and publicly announce the new tariffs to the Nigerian public.
“You have seen over the past weeks that there has been agitation from some of these companies to increase tariffs. They are requesting for a 100 per cent tariff increase.
“But it will not be by 100 per cent; the NCC will soon come up with a clear directive on how we will go about it.
“We want to strike the balance as a government, to protect our people, but also protect and ensure that these companies can continue to invest significantly,” he said.
The Minister further stated that the Federal Government would no longer leave the responsibility of infrastructure investments solely to private companies. Instead, it would actively engage in driving the necessary developments within the sector.
“We will not want this conversation to just be about tariff increase. What the world is talking about today is meaningful connectivity, people want to have access to quality service.
“A part of it that the consumers may not be aware of is the investment that needs to go into the infrastructure that is used to deliver these services,” he said.
The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, stated that the meeting with stakeholders focused on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry.
“We have looked at all of these factors, and that is why, like the minister said, it is not likely that we are going to approve a 100 per cent tariff increase.
“I know that Nigerians are agitated to hear the exact percentage approved. There are still some stakeholder engagements that we are going through, but you will hear from us within a week or two,” he said.
He explained that the NCC had implemented several tools and mechanisms to ensure compliance with service quality standards. Additionally, he urged the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to adopt simplified templates that clearly display charges for voice calls per minute, SMS, and data usage by the megabyte, ensuring transparency for Nigerian consumers.
“We are moving away from the regime where you will have a main rate, then you will now have a bonus which is at a different rate.
“It makes it often complicated and difficult for Nigerians to actually understand what they are being charged for. There is this agitation that the MNOs are stealing our data,” he said.
Dinesh Balsingh, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, represented by Femi Adeniran, Airtel’s media spokesperson, explained that the proposed tariff adjustments were driven by the economic realities of increasing operational and capital costs. Balsingh emphasised that to ensure superior connectivity and promote digital inclusion, tariff increases were essential for telecommunications companies to sustain and improve their services.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has strongly opposed the recent approval of a tariff hike by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), warning that the increase will lead to a 40% rise in telecommunication service prices, further burdening Nigerian consumers.
In a communique released following an emergency meeting held recently, NATCOMS criticised the NCC’s consideration of the tariff increase.
In the document signed by its National President, Adeolu Ogunbanjo and National Secretary, Bayo Omotubora, the association described the decision as “insensitive” and argued that it would further worsen the economic hardship facing ordinary Nigerians.
“Under the new tariffs regime, a voice call will rise from N11.00 to N15.40 per minute, short message services will jump from N4.00 to N5.60 and
“One GB data bundle will move from N1,000 to N1,400. This represents additional digital costs consumers will have to square up with at the beginning of a new year among other harsh economic realities of Nigeria of today. This, undoubtedly, is against Public Interest contrary to the false narrative of NCC that described the recent adjustments as pro public interest.
“This Association sees the increment as an official policy to price Telecoms Services out of the reach of generality of the Citizens of this country,” it stated.
NATCOMS noted that the decision by the NCC will have a detrimental effect on telecom users, already struggling with rising costs of living. The association pointed out that this price hike is an additional burden that comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with high inflation, increased taxes, and soaring living expenses.
NATCOMS strongly disagreed with the NCC’s justification that the tariff increase is in the public interest. The association described the hike as a clear departure from the NCC’s duty to protect telecom consumers, warning that the price rise could price out millions of Nigerians from accessing basic communication services.
“Telecom services are already becoming less affordable for the average Nigerian. If this tariff increase goes through, we risk seeing many people completely priced out of the market,” it said
The association also raised concerns about the cumulative effect of other recent cost increases, such as the 50% VAT hike on telecom services imposed by the Finance Act of 2019 and the excise duty charge introduced by the Federal Government in 2020.