Abuja, Nigeria – The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its decision to approve a 50% upward adjustment in telecom tariffs, describing it as a necessary step to sustain the industry amid rising operational costs.
At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, NCSCN revealed that telecom operators had initially pushed for a 200% increase, a proposal the NCC rejected in favor of a more moderate adjustment. The Council, which had initially planned a nationwide protest against the tariff hike, changed its stance after meeting with NCC officials and reviewing financial data on the challenges faced by telecom service providers.
Following the meeting, a five-member technical committee was tasked with analyzing the financial records of major telecom operators. The committee found that the industry had not seen a tariff adjustment since 2013, despite rising inflation, increasing electricity and diesel costs, and worsening insecurity, which has led to frequent vandalization of telecom infrastructure. The report also highlighted that the 50% increase was only a maximum threshold, meaning competition could still drive prices lower. It further noted that, historically, telecom rates in Nigeria have declined as economic conditions improved and that, even with the adjustment, the country still enjoys some of the lowest telecom tariffs globally.
NCSCN acknowledged the NCC’s efforts to balance consumer protection with industry sustainability, stating that the regulator had demonstrated a reasonable level of patriotism by keeping tariffs low for years. The Council urged the NCC to ensure strict compliance with conditions set for the tariff review, including service quality improvements and infrastructure upgrades. It also called on telecom operators to show commitment to their customers by keeping their price adjustments minimal rather than automatically implementing the full 50% increase.
Appealing to the Nigerian Labour Congress to reconsider its opposition to the tariff hike, NCSCN warned that failure to allow necessary adjustments could threaten the sustainability of the telecom industry. It urged Nigerians to exercise patience and trust in the NCC’s leadership, emphasizing that the adjustment was a necessary response to economic realities.
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