
Mobile phone users in Nigeria will now face higher costs after the government approved a 50-percent increase in mobile phone tariffs.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) cited “prevailing market conditions” as the reason for the increase, noting that tariffs in the country had remained unchanged since 2013.
This hike comes at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with a severe cost-of-living crisis, with inflation reaching a near 30-year high of 34.8 percent.
The increase will push the minimum price of telephone calls to 9.6 naira ($0.0062) per minute from 6.40 naira.
While telecommunications companies had initially sought a 100-percent increase, they accepted the government’s proposed adjustment.
The NCC emphasized that the tariff increase is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the telecommunications sector and maintaining service quality for consumers.
However, the increase has drawn criticism from consumers who are already burdened by rising living costs.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has stated that the tariff hike should result in demonstrable service enhancements for consumers.