The Nigeria Labour Congress has shelved its planned protest scheduled for March 1, 2025, after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government on a 35 per cent increase in telecom tariffs.
NLC’s decision was welcomed by the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers on Thursday, as the group called for better relief measures for telcos.
On January 20, 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission announced a 50 per cent hike in telecommunications tariffs—the first major adjustment in over a decade. Telecom operators, grappling with rising operational costs due to inflation and currency depreciation, had initially proposed a 100 per cent increase before the government intervened.
Multiple insider sources at the NLC informed newsmen 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 finalize the agreement.
An impeccable source with the labour union said, “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 if this means the protest scheduled for March 1 would be shelved, the source replied, “That should be obvious.”
In a previous interview with journalists the Chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the NLC, Funmi Sessi, condemned the Federal Government’s decision to approve a 35 per cent increase, calling it an unfair burden on already struggling Nigerians.
“How can the Federal Government be the one determining prices? This is an anomaly,” she argued.
Sessi said any tariff adjustment should be gradual and not exceed 15 per cent, given the current economic hardship.