By Chukwudi Obasi, with agency report
The House of Representatives has called on the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to suspend the planned increase in telecommunications tariffs.
This came as Nigeria’s largest telecommunications operator, MTN, commenced implementing the NCC’s approved tariff hike yesterday by increasing its data prices.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) checked the MTN network using the *312# code and showed the revised MTN data prices.
For the monthly plans, MTN 1.8GB now goes for N1,500, replacing the previous 1.5GB plan priced at N1,000; the 15GB plan now costs N6,500, a rise from N4,500.
The 20GB monthly plan has been adjusted to N7,500, up from N5,500.
Text messaging on the network has also increased to N6.00, reflecting the 50 percent hike, while the hike in voice call rates has yet to be ascertained.
Other mobile operators, including Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, have yet to update their data prices as of the filing of this report.
However, the House of Representatives resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance that Oforji Oboku moved on the floor of the House yesterday.
The motion was prompted by Tijani’s recent disclosure that consultations are ongoing regarding a tariff hike, which telecom operators have been pushing for over the past eleven years.
While acknowledging that network providers argue the need for cost-reflective tariffs due to economic challenges, including inflation, foreign exchange losses, and the growing demand for digital services, lawmakers expressed concerns about the impact on consumers.
The House noted that the National Association of Telecom Subscribers has rejected the proposed hike, describing it as an additional financial burden on Nigerians already struggling with economic hardship and poor network services.
*Urge suspension until service improves
Lawmakers stressed that before any tariff increase is considered, telecom operators must improve their service delivery, which has remained subpar for years.
Oboku and other lawmakers also warned that higher telecom costs could worsen economic inequality, hinder digital banking, education, healthcare, and e-governance, and threaten small businesses.
They noted that even a 10 percent increase could reduce small business profitability by up to 7 percent, potentially leading to closures.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Minister of Communications and the NCC to suspend the proposed tariff hike until telecom service quality improves.
The Committee on Telecommunications was also mandated to ensure compliance with this resolution.
*Subscribers react to hike
Some subscribers who spoke with NAN said they were surprised by MTN’s haste in implementing the tariff increase.
An Educationist and MTN Subscriber, Mrs Halima Balogun, lamented MTN’s haste in adjusting its tariff.
Balogun said that other networks were yet to implement the hike.
“We, the subscribers, are yet to come to terms with the announcement of the proposed hike, only for the increase to be implemented.
“I was about to purchase my 1.5GB at N1000, only to discover that it has been increased to N1,500. This left me stranded because I had planned on spending only N1000.
“It would have been ideal if we were given a week’s notification before the new prices were made public to enable one to be prepared,” she said.
A 200-level student of the University of Lagos, Mr Edoziem Olunwa, described the increased MTN tariff as frustrating.
Olunwa said the increase was coming when things became increasingly complex, even as students.
“As a Computer Science student, I was struggling to pay for the 20GB, which was N5,500, but the additional N2000 was like a burden.
“Over the weekend, there was an outage on the network, which was addressed but could still be better. We want the network to address these things,” he said.
Another Subscriber, Mr Abdulwahab Fatoki, expressed optimism that the increase would herald effective and efficient Service.
Fatoki said that from the day the proposed tariff hike was announced, it was obvious that there was no going back, so the best bet was to be prepared.
However, all the subscribers expressed optimism that the increment would also increase the quality of Service.
All efforts to speak with MTN officials before filing the report failed.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry’s regulatory body, had approved a maximum increment of 50 percent tariff adjustments for operators.
The Commission said its approval, though less than the 100 per cent hike demanded by operators, was in response to prevailing operational costs.
It said that its decision was under its power under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 (NCA) to regulate and approve tariff rates and charges by telecommunications operators.
The NCC said that while it recognised the public’s concerns, the decision was made after extensive consultations with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
“The NCC recognises the financial pressures faced by Nigerian households and businesses and remains deeply empathetic to the impact of tariff adjustments,’ the NCC said in a statement.
It noted that these adjustments would support operators’ ability to continue investing in infrastructure and innovation, ultimately benefiting consumers through improved services and connectivity.
The NCC added that consumers would benefit from better network quality, enhanced customer service, and more excellent coverage within the country.
