The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) says it will sue the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the 50% tariff hike.
This occured after telecommunications firms’ (telcos’) request to raise tariffs was granted by the NCC on January 20.
After the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) expressed a number of issues and requested that the NCC reconsider call pricing upward, the change was made.
Telcos requested a 100 percent hike in prices, according to Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria.
However, by granting the operators’ request, the NCC limited the pricing rise to 50%, which is half of what the telecom had demanded.
Deolu Ogunbanjo, president of NATCOMS, responded to the news by claiming that the NCC did not include subscribers in the agreement, The Cable reported.
According to Ogunbanjo, NATCOMS had proposed a marginal pricing rise of 5 to 10% since it recognized the predicament the telecom sector was facing.
He declared that the authorized 50% tariff increase by the federal government was intolerable.
According to Ogunbanjo, economic analysts had x-rayed the telecom industry and concluded that it was in critical condition, requiring immediate attention.
Ogunbanjo advised the operators to look for funding possibilities on the Nigerian exchange if they require money.
The minister of communications, innovation, and the digital economy, Bosun Tijani, stated on January 16 that a telecom tariff increase will not surpass 60 percent.
A 100 percent increase, according to Tijani, will harm Nigerians and impede the nation’s economic development.
TimesNow.com.ng reported that amid discussions of an imminent tariff hike, MTN Nigeria’s shares have appreciated by 21% just two weeks into 2025. This makes it one of the outstanding performers on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) in 2025.
Stock market analysts say this impressive performance after an unfavourable 2024 is driven by positive sentiments and fueled by the anticipated hike in tariff prices.
Recall that telecommunications operators have been agitating for an increase in call and data tariffs since 2024, and speculations arose last month that the increase would be approved in the first quarter of 2025.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
