Tijani had earlier noted that Nigeria’s telecom services tariff will be increased, but not by 100 per cent
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has said the federal government’s decision to allow telecommunications companies to hike call and data tariffs by 30-60 per cent is necessary because it will spur Nigeria’s economic growth.
He made this known recently while featuring on a Channels Television programme, where he also said the increment will affect other services in the telecommunications sector.
He went on to note that investors in the sector continuously invest in equipment to remain relevant despite inflation.
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Speaking during the interview, Tijani said, “I think the telecommunications tariff increase should not be more than 30 to 60 percent.
“The sector is about investment in infrastructure; the technologies are changing, so you have to keep investing in technology. Things like 3G will be decommissioned at some point because you have higher technology, so they have to keep investing in equipment. And we all know that there is inflation. For us, as we are protecting them, we want to keep importing capital in the sector. The foreign direct investment in our sector in the first quarter of 2024, driven by telcos, was close to $199 million; this is bigger than the entire inflow in 2023. We can’t get to a $1 trillion economy if mobile network operators are investing at a snail’s pace.”
Tijani had earlier confirmed that Nigeria’s telecom services tariff will be increased, but not by 100 per cent.