Brace up to boycott telecoms services, NLC tells Nigerians over 50 per cent tariff hike

Brace up to boycott telecoms services, NLC tells Nigerians over 50 per cent tariff hike

By Jeffrey Agbo

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged Nigerians to prepare for collective action such as boycott of telecoms services over the 50 per cent tariff hike.

A statement on Wednesday signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, condemned the hike and called out the federal government for what it described as prioritising corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses its unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s recent approval, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), of a 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs. This decision, coming at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats,” the statement said.

“Telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10% of their wages on telecom charges. For a worker earning the current minimum wage of ₦70,000, this means an increase from ₦7,000 to a staggering ₦10,500 per month or 15% of his salary—a cost that is unsustainable.

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“This hike exemplifies the government’s apparent ease in prioritizing corporate profits over citizens’ welfare. It is shocking that the government approved this 50% tariff increase for telecom companies within a month, yet took nearly a year to approve the recent minimum wage for workers, despite the rising cost of living and inflation eroding purchasing power. This glaring disparity underscores a troubling reality: the government appears more aligned with the interests of wealthy corporations than with the needs of the workers and citizens it is meant to serve.

“We must ask: When will the government stand for the people it swore to protect? When will the National Assembly rise to its responsibility and hold the executive accountable for policies that blatantly undermine the welfare of the majority? When will the common man heave a sigh of relief in Nigeria?”

The NLC noted that it was not opposed to a tariff review but disagreed with the approved rate of increase.

The union called on the government, the NCC and the National Assembly to stop the implementation of this “ill-advised hike to allow a reasonable conversation around it.”

“The NLC calls on all Nigerian workers and masses to reject this unjustifiable tariff hike. We urge citizens to prepare for collective action, including the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services, to compel the reversal of this punitive increase. This is for our dignity, our rights, and our survival as a people.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress remains resolute in defending the interests of Nigerian workers and the masses. We will not allow the people to bear the brunt of policies that further entrench poverty and inequality. Together, we will do our best to resist this injustice and demand that government prioritizes the interests of its citizens over corporate interests,” the statement said.