Tag: Telecomms services

MTN suspends airtime, data loans services

Aminu Imam
MTN suspends airtime

Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has attributed the suspension of its airtime and data borrowing services to new regulatory requirements introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC). The company’s Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, disclosed this on Thursday at the Nigerian Exchange Limited, explaining that the decision followed the implementation of new compliance rules under the Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. According to the company, the regulations introduce a revised licensing and compliance framework for entities offering digital or non-traditional consumer credit services, including airtime lending.…

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FG removes 5% Telecom tax on voice, data services

Aminu Imam
FG Telecom tax

The Federal Government has revoked the 5% excise tax previously imposed on telecommunications services in Nigeria, a move expected to ease cost pressures for millions of mobile users. The tax, which was intended to apply to both voice calls and data, had drawn widespread criticism from industry players and consumer advocates since its introduction under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, disclosed that President Tinubu directed the removal of the tax during discussions on the recently passed Finance Act. The development is…

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Banks mull USSD charges over new telcos tariff hike

Aminu Imam
Banks mull USSD charges

Nigerian banks are considering passing USSD transaction costs to customers after telecom companies raised tariffs, citing inflation and operational expenses.  This move has sparked concerns over higher mobile banking costs, particularly for users without smartphones or internet access. Telecom firms, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), recently adjusted their USSD pricing, affecting banks that rely on the service for financial transactions.  USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), according to experts is a platform that enables bank customers to transfer money digitally using their phones…

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TUC rejects highway tolls, electricity tariff hike

Aminu Imam
TUC rejects highway tolls

…Threatens mass protest over FG’s policies The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, (TUC), has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s plan to toll selected highways and the proposed electricity tariff hike, warning of possible mass protests. TUC President, Festus Osifo, condemned the tolling policy at the union’s National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting in Abuja, criticising the government for implementing policies without stakeholder consultations. He described tolling on unpaved and dilapidated roads as “shameless extortion”, insisting that roads must be repaired to international standards before any tolls can be considered. While the…

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NLC declares nationwide protest over telecom tariff hike, ₦70,000 minimum wage default

Aminu Imam
NLC protest notice

The Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) has declared a nationwide protest over the recent hike in telecommunications tariffs and the Federal Government’s default on the ₦70,000 minimum wage. According to a communiqué issued after the National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the NLC yesterday, he protest is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Recall that the Federal Government approved a 50% increase after telecom operators initially requested a 100 percent hike. In response, the NLC on Friday called on Nigerians to prepare for a nationwide boycott of telecommunication…

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SERAP sues FG, NCC over 50% telecoms tariff hike

Aminu Imam
SERAP sues FG, NCC

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP), has filed a lawsuit against the President Bola Tinubu administration and the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), over what it described as the “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable” 50% increase in telecom tariffs. Recall that the NCC recently approved the tariff hike, which raised the cost of a one-minute call from ₦11 to ₦16.5, the price of 1GB of data from ₦287.5 to ₦431.25, and SMS charges from ₦4 to ₦6. The hike has sparked widespread criticism, with SERAP leading legal opposition to…

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Telecoms: “Reverse 50% tariff hike or face nationwide protests” – NANS warns FG 

Aminu Imam
NANS warns FG

The National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS), has condemned the recently approved 50% increment in telecommunications tariffs by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and the Ministry of Communications, Digital Economy, describing it as not only abnormal but  inconsiderate and unjustifiable. In an issued statement yesterday, signed by the Clerk of its Senate, National Headquarters, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman, warned the NCC and the Ministry of Communications, Digital Economy to review the increment within 72 hours or risk a nationwide protest by over 40 million Nigerian students already going through untold hardships…

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Phone calls to cost ₦16.5/minute, data ₦431.25/1Gb, as NCC increases tariff by 50%

Aminu Imam
Phone calls tariff

Nigerians will now pay ₦16.5 per minute for calls and ₦431.25 to subscribe to 1 giga-byte (GB) of data, following a 50% tariff hike by the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) on Monday. Recall that Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, had hinted that telecom tariffs will go up by either 30 or 50 percent. His position came from a fallout of a meeting between him and operators who had proposed a 100% tariff increase. The latest telecom tariff hike approval comes 13 years after NCC announced price template…

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Telecoms: “Under new tariff, call rates to move from ₦11 to ₦18; ₦287 data bundle to ₦479″ – Minister

Aminu Imam
Telecoms new tariff

Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has disclosed that the anticipated hike in telecom service prices may push the floor costs of calls, SMS, and data up by between 30 and 60%. This is less than the 100 percent that telecommunication firms have asked for. The Minister disclosed this recently while appearing on a television programme, where he insisted that the 100% increment requested by the telecom operators is impossible. The Minister noted that the increase will be between 30% and 60%. “It shouldn’t be more than…

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Price of calls to rise, as FG agrees to tariff hike

Aminu Imam
FG on tariff hike

The Federal Government has agreed to demands for tariff hikes in the telecommunication industry.  Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this yesterday, during an ‘Industry Stakeholder Forum’, in Abuja. This is expected in the coming weeks, as the Government aims to address sustainability challenges in the telecom sector. This implies that prices of calls, data and SMS will go up for the average Nigerian. However, the hike will fall short of the 100 percent increase requested by service providers, with the Government seeking to balance sector…

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