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Nigerian Communications Commission
The Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria has rejected the proposed telecom tariff hike of 30 to 60 percent, put forward by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
The advocacy group, representing over 220 million subscribers nationwide, argued that the minister’s statement contradicted an agreement reached with the Nigerian Communications Commission and other key stakeholders during a meeting held on January 9, 2025.
In a press release issued on Sunday, ATCIS-Nigeria’s National President, ‘Sina Bilesanmi, expressed concerns that the minister’s proposal went against the consensus reached in Abuja.
According to him, it was agreed that no telecom tariff hike would occur until all stakeholders, particularly subscribers, were adequately consulted and sensitised.
He explained, “Telecom operators need to respect the telecom subscriber advocacy body and the NCC Act.
“The NCC should direct telecom operators to engage with ATCIS first for consultation, involvement, enlightenment, and engagement.
“Once we reach an agreement, we can call for public input on the percentage rate and communicate this to the NCC for approval. “Any deviation from this process is unacceptable, as subscribers are the ones paying for the services.”
Bilesanmi noted that at the January meeting, stakeholders resolved that there would be no tariff hike until further deliberations were concluded with mobile network operators and subscriber representatives.
He added, “The MNOs, through their representatives at ATCON and ALTON, were tasked with organizing enlightenment programs to address these issues. They were also expected to discuss potential percentage increases with subscriber representatives before taking it to the NCC for final approval.”
During an interview with Arise TV, Tijani revealed that MNOs were pushing for a 100% tariff increase to stabilize the telecom sector.
However, the government would not approve such a drastic hike and was instead considering a moderate increase of 30 to 60 percent. The minister emphasised that any adjustment must not harm the Nigerian people.
ATCIS-Nigeria, however, insisted that pricing decisions should not be unilaterally made by the minister but should follow proper regulatory channels.
“We strongly disagree with the minister’s proposal.
“It is not the minister’s role to set telecom prices in a liberalised market,” Bilesanmi said.
The NCC, in partnership with subscriber advocacy bodies like ATCIS, must lead to any discussions on tariff changes based on data-driven analysis.
The group further warned that a tariff increase would disproportionately affect Nigerians, particularly small business owners who rely on affordable telecom services to run their operations.
It stressed that such a hike would worsen the economic strain on citizens already grappling with the effects of other financial reforms.
“The government’s push for a digital economy cannot succeed if we burden Nigerians with higher telecom costs.
“This will have a devastating impact on businesses that depend on affordable communication services to thrive and will ultimately slow down progress in digital transformation across the country,” Bilesanmi said.
ATCIS-Nigeria urged the government to prioritise consultation with stakeholders and ensure that any tariff adjustment aligns with the needs and interests of subscribers.
