The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has forced the Federal Government to decrease the telecoms rate hike from 50% to 35%.
According to Vanguard, the reduction occurred following a meeting of the 10-man committee, which included government and NLC representatives, at the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) office on Friday, February 21, 2025.
According to government sources, an official communique announcing the tariff reduction is expected to be released any moment from Saturday, February 22.
It was gathered that the meeting started around 4 pm and ended about 7 pm, where NLC representatives insisted that the tariff hike must be withdrawn.
Sources informed Vanguard that after much pressure from NLC representatives in the 10-man committee, the government and NCC buckled and agreed on 15 percent reduction.
According to NLC, “If the telecommunications companies fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a total shutdown of their operations nationwide will commence from March 1, 2025.”
To show its seriousness, NLC declared that as a first step in resisting the arbitrary tariff hike, it directed that from Thursday, February 13, 2025, (today) workers and other willing citizens should boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM until the end of February 2025.
The communique signed by the President and General Secretary of Congress, Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja, respectively, directed NLC State Councils and industrial union affiliates to commence immediate sensitisation and mobilisation of their members and the general public within their jurisdictions.
