The NCC’s approval of a 50% telecom tariff increase has sparked national outrage. Nigerians say the hike punishes the poor, disrupts livelihoods, and threatens access to education, banking, and communication in an already fragile economy.
- NCC approved a 50% tariff hike in January 2025 to offset inflation and rising energy costs.
- Mobile users, students, and vendors say they now pay more for less access, straining daily life.
- Civil society and labour groups demand reversal, citing digital inequality and economic exclusion.
Zainab Idris, a food vendor in Kano, says data now costs her double. Fatima Yusuf, a student, skips online research. For both, the internet isn’t a luxury—it’s survival. “We’re being punished for being connected,” Zainab says.
Can the government balance service provider demands with digital rights? Without intervention, millions risk digital exclusion in a nation increasingly reliant on online services. Who benefits from this new telecom reality?
