The federal government has suggested raising telecom rates by 30–60% in order to maintain the vital telecom industry while keeping prices within Nigerians’ means.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, revealed this in an appearance on Channels Television yesterday. He said that KPMG and other independent experts had provided recommendations.
In response to operator demands for a 100 percent boost, Dr. Tijani clarified that the government was thinking about a more moderate increase in order to combine consumer affordability with the sector’s sustainability and future expansion.
He said, “The telecommunications sector contributes over 16 per cent to our GDP, employs thousands of Nigerians, and is essential to the nation’s digital economy. However, it is crucial to ensure that services remain accessible while maintaining the sector’s viability.”
Dr. Tijani highlighted that the tariff review would give consumer interests and sector sustainability first priority while announcing important government updates.
According to him, the Nigerian Communications Commission, or NCC, was in charge of the procedure and making recommendations based on examination of the data.
Regarding investments in rural connectivity, he stated, “To address connectivity challenges in underserved areas, the government is deploying 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic networks and building telecom towers in remote regions through Special Purpose Vehicles, SPVs.”
Dr. Tijani also discussed Nigeria’s leadership in the resilience of the world’s telecommunications infrastructure, pointing to recent initiatives to handle outages in submarine cables.
He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to declare telecom infrastructure a vital national asset and to harmonize taxes.
The minister promised Nigerians better service delivery and stated operators will be held responsible for any interruptions.
“We are implementing measures to ensure swift resolutions to service interruptions and better experiences for consumers.
“We are committed to ensuring meaningful connectivity for all Nigerians, 25 Mbps in urban areas and 10 Mbps in rural areas, while fostering a sustainable environment for private and public investments,” he said.