The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has blasted the federal government for approving through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) a 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs.
The labour centre said in a statement signed by its president, Mr Joe Ajaero that the tariff hike is “another burden too harsh.”
He said the decision, coming at a time when 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% of their wages on telecom charges.
“For a worker earning the current minimum wage of ₦70,000, this means an increase from ₦7,000 to a staggering ₦10,500 per month or 15% 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 the government approved this 50% 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 with the needs of the workers and citizens it is meant to serve,” Ajaero said.
He wondered when the government would 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?”
However, the labour leader said the NLC was not opposed to the increase but was concerned about the rate of the hike.
He therefore called on the government, the NCC, and the National Assembly to stop the implementation of “this ill-advised hike to allow a reasonable conversation around it.”
“If the dialogue agrees on the need for the hike, then, we can all seek a more humane increase and definitely not this 50% hike.
“We 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 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 do our best to resist this injustice and demand that government prioritises the interests of its citizens over corporate interests,” he added.
Meanwhile, the minister of communications, innovations, and digital economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, attributed the tariff hike by to global inflation and high operational costs.
Speaking yesterday after a closed-door budget defence session with the national assembly joint committee on information, communication, and technology, Tijani highlighted the financial challenges facing telecom companies.
He explained that telecom companies had been struggling with rising operational expenses and inflationary pressures for years, including the high cost of essential materials.
The minister emphasised that these issues are not unique to Nigeria but part of a global economic challenge.
“The hike in price is based on inflation globally. This is a sector that has not increased prices for a long time; what the government has been doing is managing the situation.
“They have been crying out for a long time that they are struggling with the cost of diesel. This is not a problem that is unique to Nigerians,” Tijani stated.
Tijani further assured that the government, through the NCC, is monitoring the situation to ensure that mobile network operatotrs (MNOs) continue to provide high-quality services.
“We will ensure that MNOs can continue to deliver the best quality services to the people. The NCC is doing a lot of tracking now to ensure that the quality of the services people will get is of good quality,” he added.
