The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to hold a nationwide protest on Tuesday, February 4, to express opposition to the recent 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The decision to protest was made during the ongoing National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the NLC.
The protest aims to send a strong message to the government, warning that workers would resist the planned hike, which they believe will exacerbate the poverty levels across the country.
The NLC had already rejected the 50% tariff hike approved by the Federal Government on January 22, 2025, arguing that the decision was an additional burden on Nigerian workers already struggling with severe economic hardship.
In a statement titled “50% Telecom Tariff Hike: Another Burden Too Harsh!”, NLC President Joe Ajaero condemned the hike, stating, “The NLC expresses its unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s recent approval, through the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, of a 50 percent increase in telecommunication tariffs.”
Ajaero continued, emphasizing the timing of the decision: “This decision, coming at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats.”
Telecommunications services, which are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information, have become increasingly costly for the average Nigerian worker.
Ajaero pointed out, “An average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10 percent of their wages on telecom charges.”
He further explained the financial strain this hike will place on workers: “For a worker earning the current minimum wage of N70,000, this means an increase from N7,000 to a staggering N10,500 per month or 15 percent of his salary — a cost that is unsustainable.”
