NLC shelves protest as subscribers welcome 35% tariff hike

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 The Punch 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 finalise 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.”

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