Federal Government bows to pressure, reduces telecom tariff hike
The Nigerian government has reduced the proposed increase in telecommunications tariffs from 50% to 35% following pressure from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
This decision came after a meeting between government representatives and labour leaders at the National Security Adviser’s office on February 21, 2025.
The meeting, which lasted for about three hours, saw NLC officials strongly opposing the tariff increase.
After persistent demands, the government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) agreed to lower the proposed hike by 15%.
An official announcement confirming the new tariff structure is expected soon.
The NLC had earlier criticized the tariff hike, arguing that it violated an agreement previously reached with the government and telecom regulators.
The union warned that if the new rates were not reversed by the end of February, a nationwide shutdown of telecom services would begin on March 1, 2025.
To push back against the increase, the NLC directed workers and the public to boycott MTN, Airtel, and Glo services daily from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
The union also urged people to stop purchasing data from these companies, accusing them of exploiting Nigerian consumers.
In a statement released after a meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State, labour leaders condemned the telecom companies for implementing the increase without waiting for the outcome of a committee’s review.
They described it as a breach of trust and an attack on Nigerians struggling with economic hardship.
