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Gbeminiyi Ogunleye
3 months ago
Overview
Tariff Hike: Telcom Subscribers Reject Minister’s 60% Proposal
The Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria has rejected the proposed telecom tariff hike of 30 to 60 percent, put forward by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
The advocacy group, representing over 220 million subscribers nationwide, argued that the minister’s statement contradicted an agreement reached with the Nigerian Communications Commission and other key stakeholders during a meeting held on January 9, 2025.
In a press release issued on Sunday, ATCIS-Nigeria’s National President, ‘Sina Bilesanmi, expressed concerns that the minister’s proposal went against the consensus reached in Abuja.
According to him, it was agreed that no telecom tariff hike would occur until all stakeholders, particularly subscribers, were adequately consulted and sensitised.
He explained, “Telecom operators need to respect the telecom subscriber advocacy body and the NCC Act.
“The NCC should direct telecom operators to engage with ATCIS first for consultation, involvement, enlightenment, and engagement.
“Once we reach an agreement, we can call for public input on the percentage rate and communicate this to the NCC for approval. “Any deviation from this process is unacceptable, as subscribers are the ones paying for the services.”
Credit: Punch
