The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced a 50% tariff increase for telecommunications companies in the country, raising concerns about the potential impact on Nigerians. This increase will directly affect the cost of calls and internet data bundles across all telecom providers.
For example, if the cost of a one-minute call was previously 10 Naira, it could now rise to 15 Naira, while the price for one gigabyte of data, which was 1,000 Naira, could increase to 1,500 Naira. This tariff hike comes at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with rising inflation, which stood at 34.80% in December 2024, and soaring costs of living, including hikes in fuel and electricity prices.
The NCC, the regulatory body overseeing telecommunications in Nigeria, acknowledged the strain this will cause on individuals and businesses. They expressed that while they are not happy about the decision, the tariff hike is necessary to support better network coverage from service providers.
So, what does this mean for the cost of calls and data? When will these new rates take effect?
According to the NCC, the increase was approved after telecom operators requested a 100% tariff hike, but only 50% was approved. The cost of calls per minute varies depending on the subscription package selected by the customer.
For instance, MTN’s Pulse package, which previously charged 24.30 Naira for the first 90 seconds of a call, and then 11.26 kobo per second (6.75 Naira per minute), will now see a significant increase. Previously, 100 Naira of airtime would give about 14.8 minutes of talk time, but with the 50% increase, this will drop to just 7.4 minutes.
The situation is similar across all the major operators. Glo Mobile, for example, will see the cost of 50 megabytes of data rise from 50 Naira to 75 Naira, while the cost of 3.9 gigabytes of data, which was previously 1,000 Naira, will now be 1,500 Naira.
Additionally, the price for sending an SMS, which was previously 4 Naira, could now increase to 6 Naira.
9Mobile has also confirmed the price hikes, with a senior staff member stating that the company will soon inform customers of the exact new rates once calculations are finalized.
In summary, this tariff increase is a direct result of the financial pressures telecom companies face, but it is expected to put additional strain on Nigerian consumers already dealing with economic challenges.
