Telecom subscribers and advocacy groups are heading to court after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) failed to address their concerns over the 50% tariff hike. The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) announced plans to sue the NCC for not reducing the hike to a more reasonable 10%.

NATCOMS President, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said, “We gave them until the end of the day (Tuesday) to respond. Since we have not received any response, we are moving forward with the court process starting tomorrow (Wednesday).”

SERAP also filed a lawsuit, calling the hike “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable,” seeking an injunction to halt its implementation. “The unilateral decision by the NCC to authorize telcos to hike telecom tariffs by 50 percent is arbitrary and inconsistent with constitutional guarantees,” SERAP stated.

Telecom operators justify the hike as vital for sustainability. MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, said, “This tariff adjustment represents an important step towards addressing the impacts of the prevailing economic challenges on our business and industry.” Airtel’s CEO, Dinesh Balsingh, added, “The tariff adjustment reflects a balanced approach to ensuring the sustainability of the telecom sector while safeguarding the interests of consumers.”

Despite the increase, analysts caution that exchange rate volatility continues to strain operators. Finance Minister Wale Edun defended the hike, citing inflation: “There has been a rise in costs, there has been inflation, and that needs to be reflected.”

Telecom subscribers and advocacy groups are heading to court after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) failed to address their concerns over the 50% tariff hike. The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) announced plans to sue the NCC for not reducing the hike to a more reasonable 10%.

NATCOMS President, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said, “We gave them until the end of the day (Tuesday) to respond. Since we have not received any response, we are moving forward with the court process starting tomorrow (Wednesday).”

SERAP also filed a lawsuit, calling the hike “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable,” seeking an injunction to halt its implementation. “The unilateral decision by the NCC to authorize telcos to hike telecom tariffs by 50 percent is arbitrary and inconsistent with constitutional guarantees,” SERAP stated.

Telecom operators justify the hike as vital for sustainability. MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, said, “This tariff adjustment represents an important step towards addressing the impacts of the prevailing economic challenges on our business and industry.” Airtel’s CEO, Dinesh Balsingh, added, “The tariff adjustment reflects a balanced approach to ensuring the sustainability of the telecom sector while safeguarding the interests of consumers.”

Despite the increase, analysts caution that exchange rate volatility continues to strain operators. Finance Minister Wale Edun defended the hike, citing inflation: “There has been a rise in costs, there has been inflation, and that needs to be reflected.”