The House of Representatives has urged the minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to suspend the impending hike in telecommunications tariffs until service improves.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, moved by the member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency of Bayelsa State, Hon. Obuku Oforji, at plenary yesterday.
Moving the motion, Oforji noted that after a stakeholder meeting with Mobile Network Operators in Abuja on January 8, 2025, Tijani disclosed that telecommunication tariffs would soon increase.
He quoted the minister to have said
consultations were ongoing as there had been agitations from some of those companies to increase tariffs to as high as 100 percent, adding, however, that there would not be a 100 percent increase and that the Nigerian Communications Commission would approve the new tariffs and announce them in due course.
The lawmaker said the argument of the telecommunications companies for the hike includes the cost of investment, better networks, and increasing demand for digital services across sectors such as education, banking and healthcare, amongst others.
Oforji expressed worry that; “The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers has rejected the proposed increase in tariffs, describing it as insensitive and a further burden on consumers already grappling with economic hardship and poor network service delivery.
“It is imperative that the telecommunications companies improve their service delivery (poor network), which Nigerians have been yearning for in years, before embarking on the increase in their tariffs.”
He also expressed concern that the far-reaching effects of these price hikes will deepen the average Nigerian’s financial struggles, threaten the country’s vision of leveraging technology to drive economic revival, exacerbate poverty, and widen existing inequalities, hitting lower-income families the hardest.
“Affordable connectivity is a must for progress in critical sectors like digital banking, education, healthcare, agriculture and e-governance. Informal sector workers who depend on affordable mobile data to access gig work opportunities may find it harder to stay connected.
“Saddened that those small businesses, which rely heavily on affordable telecommunication for operations, marketing, and customer engagement, will face additional financial burden.
“Imagine a scenario where a 10 percent increase is approved. It is estimated that a 10 percent increase in telecommunications costs would reduce small business profitability up to 7 percent, potentially leading to closure of businesses,” he added.
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