The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers will meet with the Nigerian Communications Commission on Friday to discuss reducing the 50% telecom bill rise to 10%, as the Nigeria Labour Congress prepares to protest.
The Federal Government authorized a 50% increase after operators originally demanded a 100% increase. However, subscribers are requesting a 10% increase, and if discussions fail, they intend to launch a lawsuit next week to dispute the decision.
The raise, the first in more than a decade, is intended to revitalize Nigeria’s faltering telecom sector, which accounts for around 14% of the country’s GDP and has sparked enormous discussion and controversy.
The labour union led by Joseph Ajaero criticized the increase on Wednesday, describing it as an added burden on Nigerian workers earning less than $50 per month as minimum wage. The union warned of potential collective action, including a nationwide boycott of telecom services, to compel the government and the NCC to reverse the decision. NATCOMS President Adeolu Ogunbanjo spoke on Thursday, saying, “Going to court is the civil way of doing things, not boycotting telecom services.”
He expressed concern that such actions would harm investor confidence in the Nigerian market, especially as the government works to attract foreign investment.
“We are not backing the NLC at all. It will send wrong signals to investors. These are private businesses, and President Bola Tinubu is trying hard to woo investors. So we can’t support that rascality.”
Tariff rates on phone calls and messages have remained unchanged, even as operators face rising costs fueled by inflation, exchange rate volatility, and substantial investments needed to meet increasing consumer demand.
