The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has issued an ultimatum to telecommunications companies in Nigeria, threatening to shut down their operations nationwide starting March 1, 2025, if the recent 50% tariff hike is not reversed.
The NLC has also called for a boycott of major telecom operators, including MTN, Glo, and Airtel, beginning February 13, 2025. The labour union strongly criticized the tariff adjustment, insisting that it was implemented without due process and against an ongoing negotiation with the government.
The NLC demands that the telecom companies reverse the tariff hike to the old rate by the end of February. The union also demands that funds allegedly siphoned abroad by telecom companies be recovered.
The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria has called on authorities to impose sanctions on telecom providers for disregarding due process. Telecoms lawyer, Ayoola Oke, has urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt the tariff increase, accusing MTN of using its market dominance to influence industry pricing.
The Nigerian government has been criticized for ignoring calls to reverse or slash the tariff hike approval. The controversy surrounding the tariff hike has sparked widespread outrage, with many subscribers calling for a boycott of telecom services.
