By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday mandated Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, to engage with telecommunications providers in the country to review the recent increase in data costs.
The Red Chamber also asked the Minister to ensure that pricing remains fair and affordable for all Nigerians
The upper legislative chamber gave the mandate as part of its resolution, which was passed after considering a motion titled “Urgent Need to address the increased cost of Data Services in Nigeria,” moved by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, representing Cross River South.
The Senate specifically called on the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to develop a policy framework for affordable internet services in Nigeria;
It encouraged the Federal Government to establish and support tech hubs across the country by providing them with free or subsidised internet access to young entrepreneurs, students, and innovators
It also mandated the Committee on Communications to investigate the factors driving the high cost of data and propose solutions for a sustainable and business-friendly telecommunications sector.
It called for immediate government action to address the challenges of doing business in Nigeria, particularly in the ICT and telecommunications sector, to prevent further cost increases that negatively impact economic growth
In his motion, Ekpenyong noted that telecommunications providers in Nigeria have recently increased the cost of data services by as much as 200%, a move that has placed significant financial strain on millions of Nigerians, especially young people who rely on the internet for their livelihood.
He lamented that young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for various income-generating activities.
The Senator also said the youths have embraced freelancing and remote work, digital marketing and social media management, e-commerce and online trading, software development, web design, and mobile app creation, among other things.
He also said most youths are into content creation on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, online education and professional skill development, as part of cryptocurrency trading and financial technology innovations, and customer support services.
Ekpenyong expressed concerns that fibre-optic internet services remain unaffordable for the average young Nigerian, leaving them heavily dependent on mobile telecommunications companies for internet access.
He noted with regret that the sudden and substantial increase in data costs threatens their economic survival and limits access to critical digital services;
He said, “The Reasons provided by Telecom providers for the data price hike, including high operational costs and unfavourable exchange rates, are untenable. It appears that instead of addressing the root causes of the high cost of doing business in Nigeria, the burden is being unfairly transferred to end users.
“Multiple challenges, including poor infrastructure, unreliable power supply and road networks, drive the high cost of doing business in Nigeria.
“The urgent government intervention is required to ensure that affordable internet access remains available to all Nigerians, particularly the youth, who are the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy,” he added.
