The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on Monday, approved a 50 per cent tariff adjustment for telecommunications operators in response to increasing operational costs and prevailing market conditions.
A statement by the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, said the decision was made under the NCC’s regulatory powers as stipulated in Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The approved adjustment falls significantly below the over 100 per cent increase initially requested by some network operators. …CONTINUE READING
However, with an approved 50 per cent increase, the average cost of phone calls will likely rise from N11 to N16.5 per minute, SMS charges will increase from N4 to N6, and the cost of 1GB of data will jump from N350 to N525.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Communications Commission, pursuant to its power under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 to regulate and approve tariff rates and charges by telecommunications operators, will be granting approval for tariff adjustment requests by Network Operators in response to prevailing market conditions.
“The adjustment, capped at a maximum of 50 per cent of current tariffs, though lower than the over 100 per cent requested by some network operators, was arrived at taking into account ongoing industry reforms that will positively influence sustainability.
“These adjustments will remain within the tariff bands stipulated in the 2013 NCC Cost Study, and requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as is the Commission’s standard practice for tariff reviews. It will be implemented in strict adherence to the recently issued NCC Guidance on Tariff Simplification, 2024.”
According to the commission, tariff rates have remained static since 2013, despite inflation and rising operational costs that have strained the telecommunications industry.
The NCC assured that the adjustments would be implemented transparently, with operators mandated to educate consumers about the new rates and ensure measurable improvements in service delivery.
Telecom operators have been clamouring for tariff hikes, citing escalating operating costs due to inflation, naira devaluation, and an unstable economic environment.
