Nigerians to pay more for phone calls, data as telcos hint at tariff increase
By Seun Johnson
Barring any last-minute changes, Nigerians may have to pay more on telecommunications services owing to the current rising operating cost and burden of taxes on operators.
This was disclosed by Gbenga Adebayo, chairman Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), recently during a stakeholders’ meeting with Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).
According to Adebayo, the current price regime is no longer sustainable and a review should be considered in line with the rising operating cost, adding that operators are burdened by 52 taxes across the country.
“Our current pricing regime is no longer sustainable. That is the fact, with the way things are going, I am not sure we can sustain this sector with the current pricing regime,” he said.
While appealing to the EVC to intervene in the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debts owed them by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), which he noted has now hit N200 billion, Adebayo revealed that the total debt must be paid, saying that the association would not hesitate to block debtor banks from accessing the service.
The ALTON chairman assured the NCC helmsman the support of stakeholders in the sector, stressing it is important to put a timeline on resolutions reached at the meeting.
In his remark, the President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Anthony Emoekpere, said there is a need to bridge the telecom infrastructure in the country as part of measures to improve the quality of service.
The NCC boss while assuring the stakeholders of his support and commitment to the growth of the sector, said his action would be guided by the Renewed Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the policy guidelines enumerated by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.
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