The Federal Government has directed all network service providers to withdraw the 10 percent increase that was added on calls and data tariffs. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in a statement released, has instructed the telecom operators to withdraw the hike in calls and data rates back to old rates. Though the tariff adjustment was proposed and approved by the Management, pending the final approval of the Board of the Commission, it however did not get the approval of the Board of the Commission before implementing the tariff. As a result, it is reversed, says the statement signed by NCC’s spokesman, Reuben Mouka.
The statement said the 10% approval of tariff adjustments for different voice and data packages was in line with the mandates of the Commission as provided by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and other extant Regulations and Guidelines. But the NCC said the decision was also taken after a critical review and analysis of the operational environment and the current business climate in Nigeria, as it affects all sectors of the economy.
However the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said the FG’s priority is to protect the citizens and ensure justice to all stakeholders involved. In view of the above, the Commission, through a letter sent out on the 12th of October 2022, directed the affected Mobile Network Operators to reverse the upward tariff adjustment without hesitation. The statement concludes that the Commission will carry out more consultations with all industry stakeholders on the best approaches that will protect and uphold the interest of both the consumers and the service providers.
