Nigerians Pay More, Get Less: The Telecom Tariff Scandal
By TOSI ORE
EIGHT months after the Federal Government approved a 50 percent tariff hike for telecom operators, the pain is now being felt in every corner of Nigeria. What was once a lifeline—data and voice services—has become a burden too heavy for millions of ordinary citizens and small businesses to bear.
Subscribers are voicing their frustrations: higher costs, faster data depletion, and shrinking bonuses. Many now ration airtime the same way they ration food. For some, the cost of calls competes directly with the cost of survival. One subscriber captured the crisis bluntly: “I doubt if it is 50 percent they are applying. It seems like 150 percent.”
The National Association of Telecom Subscribers (NATCOMS) rightly warned that a 50 percent hike was excessive. It had proposed a more modest adjustment—between 10 and 35 percent—but was ignored by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The outcome is what we now see: telecom costs swallowing a significant share of wages and squeezing micro-businesses that rely on calls, data, and online platforms.
This is not just about household budgets. It is about Nigeria’s digital economy. From farmers to fintech startups, from teachers to traders, affordable telecom services are not a luxury. They are the backbone of commerce, education, health, and even mental health. Every extra naira charged at this scale pushes millions closer to digital exclusion, widening the gap between those who can afford connectivity and those who cannot.
Operators argue they face mounting pressures: rising energy costs, multiple taxation, vandalism, and 12 years without tariff adjustments. They say the hike was necessary to keep networks alive. But while these challenges are real, the solution cannot be to balance the books on the backs of already impoverished consumers.
The NCC and the operators must show more empathy. A fairer compromise is overdue—one that sustains industry investment without punishing subscribers. Bonuses, flexible plans, and tiered tariffs could provide relief. At the same time, government must reduce the tax burden and provide policy support to lower operators’ costs.
Nigeria cannot afford to price its people out of connectivity. To do so is to choke small businesses, erode productivity, and lock millions out of the digital age. Telecom is no longer just a service. It is a necessity. And it must remain affordable.
