Telecom Tariffs Set to Rise, but Not by 100%, Says Minister of Communications

“A part of it that the consumers may not be aware of is the investment that needs to go into the infrastructure that is used to deliver these services,” he said.

The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, stated that the meeting with stakeholders was focused on ensuring the sustainability of the industry.

“We have looked at all of these factors, and that is why, like the minister said, it is not likely that we are going to approve 100 per cent tariff increase.

“I know that Nigerians are agitated to hear the exact percentage approved. There is still some stakeholder engagements that we are going through, but you will hear from us within a week or two,” he said.

He mentioned that the NCC had put several tools and instruments in place to ensure compliance with service quality standards.

He also urged the MNOs to adopt simplified templates that clearly show Nigerians the charges per minute for voice calls, SMS, and per megabyte of data.

“We are moving away from the regime where you will have a main rate, then you will now have a bonus which is at a different rate.

“It makes it often complicated and difficult for Nigerians to actually understand what they are being charged for. There is this agitation that the MNOs are stealing our data,” he said.

The CEO of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, represented by Femi Adeniran, the Airtel media spokesperson, explained that the economic realities of rising operational and capital costs had made the proposed tariff adjustments necessary.

Balsingh further stated that in order for telecommunications companies to provide superior connectivity and promote digital inclusion, there is a need for tariff increases.

“The economic realities of rising operational and capital costs, necessitated the proposed tariff adjustments

“This is aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector, while unlocking significant benefits for Nigerian consumers,” he said.