NCC dismisses tariff hike report

The Nigerian Communications Commission has clarified that it had not approved any new telecom tariff plans or hikes, contrary to recent online reports.

There were reports that the NCC had introduced new tariff plans and pricing rules for the telecom industry, allegedly outlined in a document titled “Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector”.

The outline was issued on Saturday, but the commission confirmed that the document did not mention approval for a tariff hike.

The commission’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Dr Aminu Maida, described the claims as “fake news” on his official X handle (formerly Twitter).

“Like the others, this is fake news! The commission has neither approved any telecom tariff plans nor hiked (them) as this report claims,” he tweeted.

Another separate statement from the commission read, “NCC has neither approved any new telecom tariff plans nor hikes as reported online. The public is advised to please disregard.

“NCC issued a directive for all operators to simplify their current tariff plans transparently and fairly for consumers.”

Telecom operators have been pushing for an increase in tariffs for voice calls, data, and other services.

This comes after 11 years of price stability in the industry, despite facing significant increases in operational costs and investments in network expansion and upgrades.

A few months ago, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria and the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria argued that the current prices were insufficient to maintain their business operations and that adverse economic headwinds were threatening their financial viability.

They called on the Federal Government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.

The telcos cited challenges, such as higher taxes and levies, multiple taxes, cable vandalism, and infrastructure deficits, as reasons for the tariff hike.