NLC shelves planned protest

negotiates 35% telecoms tarriff

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Friday, shelved its planned protest scheduled for March 1, 2025.

According to the PUNCH, decision was made after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government on a 35 per cent increase in telecom tariffs. 

NLC put forward her decision before the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers on Thursday, and it was welcomed.

The group also called for better relief measures for telcos.

The Nigerian Communications Commission had announced a 50 per cent hike in telecommunications tariffs on January 20, 2025 – the first major adjustment in over a decade.

Telecom operators had stated inflation and currency depreciation as the reason for the hike in tarriff.

They had initially proposed a 100 per cent increase before the government intervened.

Sources at the NLC informed The PUNCH on Thursday that negotiations between the union and the Federal Government resulted in a compromise, lowering the initially proposed 50 per cent increase to 35 per cent.

A 10-member committee was formed to deliberate and finalise the agreement.

A reliable source with the labour union said confirmed that with this agreement, the protest scheduled for March 1 would be shelved.

The PUNCH reported that the Chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the NLC, Funmi Sessi had in an interview condemned the Federal Government’s decision to approve a 35 per cent increase.

She called it an unfair burden on already struggling Nigerians. 

Sessi had argued that any tariff adjustment should be gradual and not exceed 15 per cent, given the current economic hardship. 

The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, welcomed the reported reduction, but called for more relief measures to ease the burden on consumers.

Speaking in response to reports of the tariff adjustment, Ogunbanjo said NATCOMS was not invited to be part of the committee that reviewed the rates.

He further described the 15% reduction as a result of consumer advocacy but urged telecom operators to consider further reductions to cushion on subscribers.

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