The Nigeria Labour Congress has called off its planned protest, initially set for March 1, 2025, after reportedly reaching an agreement with the Federal Government on a 35 per cent increase in telecom tariffs.
Naijaonpoint understands that the decision was met with approval by the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers on Thursday, with the group urging the government to introduce further relief measures for telecom operators.
Recall that on January 20, 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission announced a 50 per cent increase in telecommunications tariffs, marking the first major adjustment in over a decade.
Telecom operators, struggling with rising operational costs due to inflation and currency depreciation, had originally proposed a 100 per cent hike before government intervention led to a review.
Sources within the NLC revealed that negotiations with the Federal Government led to a compromise, reducing the proposed tariff hike from 50 per cent to 35 per cent. A 10-member committee was set up to finalise the agreement.
An NLC insider confirmed the development, stating, “Have you not heard that an agreement has been reached between the NLC and the FG? The 50 per cent hike in telecom tariff has been reduced to 35 per cent as agreed by the 10-man committee.”
When asked whether this meant the planned protest would no longer hold, the source responded, “That should be obvious.”
In a prior discussion with The PUNCH, the Chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the NLC, Funmi Sessi, criticised the Federal Government for approving the 35 per cent tariff hike, describing it as an additional burden on struggling Nigerians.
“How can the Federal Government be the one determining prices? This is an anomaly,” she argued.
Sessi maintained that any tariff adjustments should be implemented gradually and should not exceed 15 per cent, given the prevailing economic difficulties.
Meanwhile, NLC’s Public Relations Officer, Upah Benson, disclosed that the union’s National Executive Council would meet today (Friday) to deliberate further on the issue.
Telecom Subscribers React to Tariff Adjustment
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, welcomed the reduction of the initially proposed 50 per cent tariff increase to 35 per cent.
However, he called for additional measures to lessen the financial strain on consumers.
Responding to reports of the tariff review, Ogunbanjo noted that NATCOMS was not included in the committee that deliberated on the adjustments.
“I believe it is 35 per cent, but this is based on what I heard from sources,” Ogunbanjo told The PUNCH. “That information has been out there since Monday.”
He attributed the reduction to consumer advocacy efforts but urged telecom operators to consider further cuts to alleviate the impact on subscribers.
“We fought, and at least a 15 per cent reduction is something,” he said.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, along with key industry groups such as the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.