The Federal Government of Nigeria has rejected the proposed 100% tariff increase for calls and data by telecommunication providers. Instead, to make it easy for Nigerians to accept, they will allow a 30–60% increase.
This development was announced by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the current Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday, as reported by Legit
He noted that the proposed 100% tariff by the telcos would have made the affordability of calls and data more difficult, but with the FG’s 30-60% tariff allowance, Nigerians would be able to adjust to the moderate increase for calls and data.
Dr. Tijani stated that the telecommunications sector contributes 16% of the nation’s GDP and that the sector employs thousands of Nigerians. The sector plays an important role in the growth of the country.
The minister also talked about the ongoing investments in ensuring all rural areas are fully connected.
He said, “The government is deploying 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic networks and building telecom towers in remote regions through Special Purpose Vehicles, SPVs.
“We are committed to ensuring meaningful connectivity for all Nigerians—25 Mbps in urban areas and 10 Mbps in rural areas—while fostering a sustainable environment for private and public investments.”
Furthermore, the communication’s minister stated that the increase in tariff will help combat the rise in operational costs for the telcos as well as increase the investment in telecommunications infrastructure for improved service delivery.
Meanwhile, Tony Emoekpere, the president of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has appealed to the FG for the tariff increase in calls and data to happen in the first quarter of 2025.
He stated that the telecoms sector is long overdue for a hike in price since it hasn’t done any in over a decade.
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