The House of Representatives has directed the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to suspend the proposed increase in telecommunications tariffs until service delivery is improved.
This decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by lawmaker Oforji Oboku at the plenary on Tuesday.
Oboku highlighted that during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on January 8, 2025, Dr. Tijani announced plans to raise telecommunication tariffs.
Oboku explained that mobile network operators justified the increase, citing rising investment costs and the growing demand for digital services across key sectors such as education, banking, and healthcare.
He further noted that telecommunications companies have been pushing for the tariff hike for the past 11 years, as per the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
However, Oboku pointed out that the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers had rejected the proposed hike, calling it “insensitive” and a “further burden on consumers already grappling with economic hardship, and poor network service delivery.”
He argued that telecom companies need “cost-reflective tariffs” in the face of “adverse economic realities like a record inflation of 34.6 percent in November 2024 and losses resulting from foreign exchange fluctuations.”
The lawmaker emphasized, “It is imperative that the telecommunications companies improve on their service delivery (poor network), which Nigerians have been yearning for in years, before embarking on the increase in their tariffs.”
Oboku expressed concern that the tariff increase would worsen financial struggles for the average Nigerian, threaten the country’s efforts to leverage technology for economic revival, and exacerbate poverty, especially for lower-income families.
He stated, “Affordable connectivity is a must for progress in critical sectors like digital banking, education, healthcare, agriculture, and e-governance.”
After a debate, the House resolved: “To urge the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commissions to suspend the impending hike in telecommunications tariffs until their service improved.”
