Telecom operators are facing a strong backlash from subscribers and workers after implementing a 50 per cent tariff hike without waiting for the outcome of a review process that was agreed upon, prompting the Nigeria Labour Congress to call for a nationwide boycott of telecom services.
While the NLC has called for a boycott and a nationwide shutdown starting March 1, the subscriber group – the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, distanced itself from this approach.
Instead, subscribers insist that the Nigerian Communications Commission must sanction operators for proceeding with the increase without approval, emphasising that the telecom companies’ actions undermine the review process and disregard the concerns of Nigerian consumers.
Initially, the NLC had planned a strike on February 4, 2025, to protest the hike, but the action was called off following a stakeholders’ meeting with the Federal Government through the NCC on February 3.
The meeting resulted in the formation of a 10-person review panel, tasked with making recommendations on the tariff issue, with a deadline set for February 17. Despite this, telecom operators proceeded with the tariff increase, effectively bypassing the panel’s process.
