The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the Federal Government’s approval of a 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs, urging subscribers to “reject” the new charges. The NLC’s call follows the government’s approval of the hike, which came after telecom operators initially requested a 100% increase.
The tariff hike, the first in more than ten years, was introduced in a bid to revitalise the struggling telecom sector, which contributes approximately 14% to Nigeria’s economy. However, the NLC argues that the new costs are another heavy financial burden on Nigerians already grappling with inflation and rising costs of living.
In a statement shared on the NLC’s X (formerly Twitter) page, the union outlined the new rates: call costs have increased from N11 per minute to N16.50, SMS charges have risen from N4 to N6 per message, and data charges for the 1GB bundle have jumped from N287.50 to N431.25. The NLC expressed disappointment, stating that the 50% hike is far too harsh on Nigerians.
“The 50% telecom tariff hike is another burden too harsh on Nigerians,” the NLC’s statement read.
Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, also took to task the government’s approval of N8 billion to sensitize Nigerians on how to pay electricity bills. Ajaero criticized the state of Nigeria’s power sector, which he claimed is on the brink of collapse, calling the officials in charge incompetent. He specifically called for the resignation of Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, pointing to the frequent collapse of the national grid under the current leadership.
“The Ministry of Power is being run by people who have shown gross incompetence. The power grid collapses constantly under their watch, more than it ever did in Nigeria’s history,” Ajaero remarked, emphasizing the urgent need for a change in leadership.
Additionally, Ajaero raised concerns over the new electricity pricing bands, calling them discriminatory. He questioned the fairness of charging some people higher rates based on arbitrary classifications, claiming that the practice further marginalizes certain groups of Nigerians.
