President Tinubu Government has approved Telcom’s tariffs increase.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has announced that telecom tariffs in Nigeria will soon increase, but not by the 100 percent proposed by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
Following a stakeholders’ meeting with the MNOs in Abuja on Wednesday, Tijani confirmed that consultations and engagements are ongoing, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will soon approve and announce the new tariffs to the public.
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“You have seen over the past weeks that there has been agitation from some of these companies to increase tariffs. They are requesting for 100 percent tariff increase. But it will not be by 100 percent; the NCC will soon come up with a clear directive on how we will go about it. We want to strike the balance as a government, to protect our people, but also protect and ensure that these companies can continue to invest significantly,” Tijani said.
He emphasized the importance of regulating the telecommunications sector to ensure its growth and sustainability. Tijani also stated that the Federal Government would no longer leave infrastructure investments solely to private companies, as they tend to invest only where they can see short- to medium-term returns.
“We will not want this conversation to just be about tariff increase. What the world is talking about today is meaningful connectivity, people want to have access to quality service. 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 added.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, explained that the stakeholder meeting was focused on ensuring the sustainability of the industry. He confirmed that a 100 percent tariff increase was unlikely and that ongoing discussions would determine the final percentage, with an official announcement expected within a week or two.
“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,” Maida said.
