Nigerian Telcos Seek to Hike Voice and Data Prices Amid Economic Woes

The Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the umbrella body of telecoms operators in Nigeria, has proposed a review of the prices of voice calls, data, and other services.

The association says that the price hike is necessary due to the increased cost of doing business and the harsh economic realities in the country.

ALTON recently visited the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, to seek his approval for the proposed telecom price review mechanism.

The association argued that the telecoms sector has not adjusted its prices for the last six years, unlike other sectors of the economy, such as insurance and power, that have implemented different degrees of tariff increment.

ALTON chairman Gbenga Adebayo said that the consumer prices in other sectors have risen significantly over the last six years to reflect the macroeconomic situation.

However, he said that the telco prices have remained flat and even declined, despite the challenges posed by inflation, devaluation, multiple taxation, vandalism, and insecurity.

Adebayo said that other highly regulated sectors have increased their prices over the last year to cope with the economic headwinds.

He cited the examples of insurance prices rising by 200 per cent and power prices rising by over 40 per cent. He said that the telecoms sector needs to review its prices to ensure sustainability and quality of service.

The communication minister said he would look into all that ALTON had presented and assured them that the challenges are not insurmountable. He said that he would work with ALTON to find solutions that would benefit both the operators and the consumers.

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