ICYMI: NATCOMS, CSO reject NCC’s 50% telecom tariff hike

The Grassroots Centre for Rights and Civic Orientation a Civil Society Organisation, has strongly condemned the Nigeria Communications Commission’s (NCC) recent approval of a 50% increase in telecom tariffs.

The organisation criticised the decision, describing it as an unjustifiable burden on Nigerians already grappling with economic hardships.

The tariff hike will see the cost of calls rise from N11 to N16.50 per minute, SMS rates increase from N4 to N6, and data prices surge from N350 to N431.25 per gigabyte.

The Centre argued that the increase is exploitative, given the persistent poor quality of telecom services, including dropped calls, internet downtime, and other service disruptions.

In a statement by the Executive Director Grassroots Centre, Armsfree Ajanaku, notes that the NCC justified the hike by citing rising operational costs, inflation, and foreign exchange volatility.

However, he questioned why the regulator failed to prioritize improving service quality before approving higher tariffs.

The Centre also blamed the government’s economic policies for escalating costs, emphasising that Nigerians should not bear the brunt of poor policymaking.

It calls for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and urged the NCC to implement a clear framework for improving service delivery.

The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has rejected the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval of a 50 percent tariff increase for telecom operators.

The NCC announced the hike on Monday after the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) called for a tariff review.

The President of NATCOMS, Deolu Ogunbanjo, strongly criticised the decision. “It is so much for subscribers to bear. Already, we are grappling with a lot of challenges in the current business climate—fuel costs, electricity costs, and more,” Ogunbanjo said. “Now, telcos are asking for 100%, and the NCC is granting them 50%. It is a no-no.”

NATCOMS

Meanwhile, NATCOMS insists the decision is unjustified, especially given the economic pressures already faced by Nigerian consumers. Ogunbanjo expressed the determination of the Association to resist the tariff increase. The Subscribers threaten to sue NCC.

Telecom operators had initially requested a 100% hike in tariffs, citing rising operational costs and increases in other sectors, including aviation and power.

They argued that tariffs in the telecommunications sector have remained unchanged for over 11 years, a situation they claim jeopardises the quality of service delivery.