Lagos, Jan. 12, 2025 – The Collective Movement (TCM), a socio-political group, has urged the federal government to reconsider its plan to increase tariffs in the telecommunication sector.
It said the action would worsen the plight of average Nigerians who were already facing serious economic challenges.
The group made the appeal in a statement issued by its Director of Media, Edwin Nwachukwu, after a meeting of its national leaders on Friday.
It said that increasing telecom tariffs would further add to the burden of the citizens, especially low-income households.
“Telecom services play an important roles in connecting people, facilitating education, and providing access to essential services. A tariff hike will have negative social implications, particularly for vulnerable populations.
“A tariff hike will increase operational costs, and reduce productivity and competitiveness.
“Increased tariffs will further widen the digital divide as already marginalised individuals will no longer be able to afford telecom services, thereby exacerbating existing social and economic inequalities.
“Rather than increasing tariffs, the government should explore alternative revenue streams, such as taxing multinational tech companies operating in Nigeria or investing in infrastructure development.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should also prioritise consumer protection and ensure that telecom operators do not exploit subscribers with excessive price increases. (GBN)
