By Chinenye Anuforo
Subscribers have strongly criticized the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, for suggesting a potential telecom tariff increase ranging from 30% to 60%.
The Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS-Nigeria), which represents over 220 million subscribers across the country, stated that the proposed hike contradicts agreements reached during a meeting held on January 9, 2025, at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters in Abuja.
The group argued that the Minister lacks the authority to unilaterally determine prices in a liberalized market.
Sina Bilesanmi, National President of ATCIS, emphasized that a tariff hike was neither discussed nor agreed upon during the Abuja meeting. He questioned the rationale behind advocating for an increase that would further burden Nigerians already grappling with economic challenges.
Bilesanmi clarified that the January 9 meeting focused on ensuring adequate stakeholder consultation and sensitization before any potential tariff adjustments. He stressed the importance of a collaborative approach that involves subscribers through their representative body, ATCIS.
In a recent television interview, Minister Tijani acknowledged mobile network operators’ (MNOs) demand for a 100% tariff increase to stabilize the sector. However, he proposed a more moderate increase of between 30% and 60%, citing the potential negative impact of a larger hike on the populace.
Bilesanmi countered this, asserting that pricing decisions within the telecom sector fall under the purview of the NCC, which employs experts to conduct data-driven cost analyses.
“Our resolutions were that telcos needed to respect the subscriber advocacy body and the NCC Act,” Bilesanmi said.
“NCC should tell telcos to first meet with ATCIS, as the telecom subscriber advocacy body, for consultation, involvement, enlightenment, and engagement. Once the telecom subscriber advocacy body agrees, it will call for public opinion on the percentage rate. ATCIS will then write to the NCC for approval. Anything outside of this may not work. As the telecom subscriber advocacy body, we should have a say in collaboration with NCC because we’re the ones paying the money involved.
“We agreed at the meeting that there would be no hike, but further deliberations and consultations are ongoing with relevant stakeholders, especially the MNOs and subscribers. The MNOs, through their representatives—ATCON and ALTON—were supposed to organize an enlightenment and sensitization programme to address the issues.
“The MNOs were also expected to discuss the percentage increment with the subscribers’ representatives before taking it to subscribers for further discussion. At the end of these meetings, we were to communicate an equilibrium price, agreeable to all, to the NCC for final approval.”
Bilesanmi argued that any tariff hike would harm subscribers, particularly small business owners who rely heavily on mobile phones and laptops for their operations.
“It will further impoverish our members, especially small business owners whose offices and shops are their mobile phones and laptops. A hike in voice and data prices without recourse to the subscribers will spell doom for their businesses,” he said.
He added that such a move might also slow down the government’s progress in achieving its digital economy ambitions.