Economy
NLC, TUC, others reject 50% tariff hike for telecos, say it will worsen living conditions of Nigerians
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the Federal Government’s approval of tariff hike for telecommunication services in the country.

This is just as the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, described the tariff that will begin next month as outrageous, lamenting that it will worsen the harsh living conditions of workers and Nigerians.
Similarly, the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, rejected the hike, which it said was ill-timed and did not consider the plight of suffering Nigerians, even as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria HURIWA, described the hike as “an illegal, unconstitutional, and oppressive policy that undermines Nigerians’ fundamental rights and freedoms.”
HURIWA also accused the Federal Government of further impoverishing citizens through a policy that stifles freedom of expression and access to essential communication services.
The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) had earlier in the week gave the telecommunication companies to raise the tariff for their services by 50 percent.
This immediately drew the ire of the consumers’ association which described government’s approval as not only punitive but also insensitive.
Tariff hike an assault on Nigerians’ welfare — NLC
Rallying Nigerians to reject the 50 per cent telecom tariff hike approved by the Federal Government through the NCC, the NLC in a statement, titled “50% Telecom tariff hike: Another burden too harsh,” by its President, Joe Ajaero, said: “The NLC expresses its unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s recent approval, through the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, of a 50 per cent increase in telecommunication tariffs.
‘’This decision, coming at a time Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats.
“Telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10 per cent of his wages on telecom charges.
‘’For a worker earning the current minimum wage of N70,000, this means an increase from N7,000 to a staggering N10,500 per month or 15 per cent of his salary—a cost that is unsustainable.
“This hike exemplifies the government’s apparent ease in prioritising corporate profits over citizens’ welfare. It is shocking that government approved this 50 per cent tariff increase for telecom companies within a month, yet took nearly a year to approve the recent minimum wage for workers, despite the rising cost of living and inflation eroding purchasing power.
“This glaring disparity underscores a troubling reality. The government appears more aligned with the interests of wealthy corporations than the needs of the workers and citizens it is meant to serve.
“We must ask: When will the government stand for the people it swore to protect? When will the National Assembly rise to its responsibility and hold the executive accountable for policies that blatantly undermine the welfare of the majority? When will the common man heave a sigh of relief in Nigeria?
“We call on the government, the NCC and the National Assembly to stop the implementation of this ill-advised hike to allow a reasonable conversation around the hike. If the dialogue agrees on the need for the hike, then, we can all seek a more humane increase and not this 50 per cent hike.
“The NLC calls on all Nigerian workers and masses to reject this unjustifiable tariff hike. We urge citizens to prepare for collective action, including the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services, to compel the reversal of this punitive increase. This is a fight for our dignity, our rights, and our survival as a people.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress remains resolute in defending the interests of Nigerian workers and the masses. We will not allow the people to bear the brunt of policies that further entrench poverty and inequality.
‘’Together, we will resist this injustice and demand that government prioritizes the interests of its citizens over corporate interests.”
50% telecom tariff hike outrageous —TUC
On his part, Deputy President of TUC, Dr Tommy Okon, told Vanguard that the planned increase is not only unhealthy but also failed to appreciate the ability of subscribers, especially workers, to pay.
He said: “We do not understand the state of mind of the managers of the nation’s economy. It is unfortunate that the managers of Nigeria’s economy have alienated themselves from the reality of Nigeria of today.
‘’How can a government give approval for a 50 per cent hike in the tariff of telecom services at a time even the N70,000 minimum wage has been eroded by inflation, electricity tariff hike, exorbitant cost of fuel, transportation and other social services?
‘’The planned tariff hike is very unhealthy to workers and the common man. Telecom services, especially data services, make workers and the common man happy since they cannot afford the cost of pay TV. It is the data from the telecom services they depend on for relaxation and other entertainment.
“If you increase the tariff beyond the capacity of subscribers, especially workers, to pay, they will boycott or stop patronizing the telecom services. When this happens, the telecom companies may be forced to collapse.
‘’Even if there is a need for an increment, why must it be 50 per cent? A 15 to 20 per cent hike would have been more appropriate. 50 per cent is outrageous. It will definitely worsen the harsh living conditions of workers and put more burden and suffering on workers and the masses.”
CNG rejects hike, demands suspension
In like manner, the National Coordinator of CNG, Jamilu Charanchi, in a statement, described the hike as ill-timed.
Charanchi described the tariff hike as an assault on the dignity and livelihoods of the people who had been economically pauperised.
He said: “The CNG totally and unequivocally rejects the recent astronomical 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs in the country as sanctioned by the NCC.
“The CNG avers that this decision, coming at a time Nigerians are reeling in immense economic hardship, is nothing short of an assault on the dignity and livelihoods of the people that have been economically pauperized.
“We are appalled by the insensitivity and lack of foresight demonstrated by the NCC and the Federal Ministry of Communications in approving such an exorbitant tariff hike.
“The CNG observes that at a time millions of Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet, due to hyper-inflation, rising unemployment, and the pervasive effects of economic mismanagement, this decision is utterly indefensible.”
While noting that in the modern age, telecommunication services are not luxuries but necessities for survival and economic participation in the global digital world, it said by approving this hike, the NCC has jeopardized access to communication, education, healthcare, and commerce for the average Nigerian.
“The CNG, therefore, calls for the immediate suspension of the 50% hike in the tariffs and recommends instead a more reasonable adjustment of a maximum of 10%, which balances industry sustainability with the current economic realities in Nigeria.
‘’We also demand that the NCC engage in genuine, inclusive consultations with consumer advocacy groups, civil society organizations, and other grassroots stakeholders before implementing any tariff adjustments,’’ the group stated.
Meanwhile, the group accused the telecom operators of shortchanging Nigerians for years “through ineffective, inefficient and weakened services that translate into failed calls, undelivered text messages and wasted data subscriptions but with full charges deducted from the subscribers.”
According to the CNG, “yet, the NCC has never deemed it expedient to sanction or stop the exploitation and deprivation of Nigerians but now hurriedly accepted the rooftop increase of the tariffs to the detriment of consumers. This is absolutely unacceptable and totally condemnable.
“The CNG enjoins Nigerians to join hands and resist this desperate and wicked collaboration between public officials that are supposed to serve as regulators that preserve public interest and profit-sucking extreme capitalists that are determined to fleece Nigerians.
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