The Nigeria Labour Congress has called off its planned protests, initially set for March 1, 2025, after reportedly reaching an agreement with the Federal Government on a 35 per cent increase in telecom tariffs.
The decision was met with approval by the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers on Thursday, with the group urging the government to introduce further relief measures for telecom operators.
Recall that on January 20, 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission announced a 50 per cent increase in telecommunications tariffs, marking the first major adjustment in over a decade.
Telecom operators, struggling with rising operational costs due to inflation and currency depreciation, had originally proposed a 100 per cent hike before government intervention led to a review.
Sources within the NLC revealed that negotiations with the Federal Government led to a compromise, reducing the proposed tariff hike from 50 per cent to 35 per cent. A 10-member committee was set up to finalise the agreement.
An NLC insider confirmed the development, stating, “Have you not heard that an agreement has been reached between the NLC and the FG? The 50 per cent hike in telecom tariff has been reduced to 35 per cent as agreed by the 10-man committee.” When asked whether this meant the planned protest would no longer hold, the source responded, “That should be obvious
