The Federal Government has scrapped the 5% excise duty tax previously imposed on telecommunications services, including voice calls and data usage.
The National Orientation Agency made this known in a post via its official X (formerly Twitter) page on Thursday.
... said the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu ordered the removal of the tax during discussions on the recently passed Finance Act.
The NCC boss noted that the move is expected to ease cost pressures for millions of mobile users in the country.
Maida added that the President’s intervention was aimed at preventing additional financial strain on citizens while supporting the digital economy.
This tax was introduced under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. It was first announced in 2022 and had faced widespread criticism from both telecom operators and consumer rights groups, who warned it would worsen the financial burden on Nigerians amid rising living costs. The government’s justification then was part of its effort to boost revenue generation amidst dwindling oil earnings.
The Ministry of Finance at the time argued that the levy was in line with global taxation practices. Telecom operators, under the umbrella of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, however, warned that the policy would be counterproductive.