The House of Representatives has asked Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to suspend the impending hike in telecommunications tariff until their services improve.
This call followed a motion of urgent importance moved by Obuku Oforji, a Lawmaker representing the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency of Bayelsa state.
The NCC approved a 50 per cent hike in telecom tariffs after a telcos’ agitation for cost-reflective prices in the face of harsh economic conditions.
The House expressed concerns that the far-reaching effects of these price hikes will deepen financial struggles for the average Nigerian, threaten the country’s vision of leveraging technology to drive economic revival, exacerbate poverty and widen existing inequalities, hitting lower-income families the hardest.
The Green Chamber stated that the telecommunications companies must improve on their service delivery (poor network), which Nigerians have been yearning for in years, before embarking on the increase in their tariffs.
Lawmakers argued that affordable connectivity is a must for progress in critical sectors like digital banking, education, healthcare, agriculture and e-governance, noting that informal sector workers who depend on affordable mobile data to access gig work opportunities may find it harder to stay connected.
The House further expressed concerns that small businesses, which rely heavily on affordable telecommunication for operations, marketing, and customer engagement, will face additional financial burdens.
The House consequently mandated its Committee on Telecommunications to ensure compliance.
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