Telecom operators in Nigeria could receive approval to increase call, SMS, and data tariffs before the end of the first quarter of 2025, according to a senior official from one of the major telecom companies.
The official, who requested anonymity, stated that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) might grant approval for a tariff increase in response to escalating operational costs.
This move would mark the end of more than a decade of lobbying by telecom giants like MTN Nigeria, Airtel, and 9Mobile, who have long called for price adjustments to reflect economic realities.
Despite the rising costs of operations, driven largely by inflation, telecom operators have been prohibited from raising their prices for the last 11 years.
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The unnamed official expressed hope that the federal government would approve the proposed increase, acknowledging the financial strain the sector is facing.
“We strongly hope that our approval to increase tariffs will be granted by the federal government. We hear they will allow us to do some upward review of tariffs by the first quarter of 2025. This sector is seriously bleeding; no new investment because of soaring operating costs. Some of us are already making losses. We just hope the sector will not be allowed to die,” the official told journalists in Lagos.
Industry sources suggest that telecom tariffs could rise by as much as 40%. If approved, this would mean that the cost of a one-minute call could increase from N11 to N15.40, while SMS charges could rise from N4 to N5.60. Additionally, the price of a 1GB data bundle would increase from N1,000 to at least N1,400.
Telecom operators have been under pressure to adjust prices, but with inflation and rising operational costs, they argue that a tariff increase is necessary for the sustainability of the industry.
