MTN, AIRTEL, GLO, AND OTHER TELECOM COMPANIES THREATEN TO RAISE TARIFFS, POINTING THE FINGER AT TINUBU GOVERNMENT

Because the existing rate structure is unsustainable, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) have vowed to raise telecommunication tariffs.

Naija News has learned that the idea to raise the tariffs was discussed during a recent stakeholders’ meeting. Gbenga Adebayo, the chairman of ALTON, recently provided journalists with a statement in which he advocated for a price revision to reflect the operators’ increasing operational expenses.

He also emphasized the 52 levies that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration had levied on operators nationwide.

Adebayo was quoted by Daily Trust as highlighting the need to resolve the N200 billion in Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) arrears that Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) owe to telecom operators as soon as possible.

He declared that the organization would not think twice about preventing debtor banks from using their services if these debts were not paid off.

In response, Adebayo received assurances of cooperation from industry stakeholders from Dr. Aminu Maida, the Chairman of the NCC. He underlined how crucial it is to establish deadlines for tackling the problems raised at the discussion.

In addition, Maida vowed to support the industry’s expansion by coordinating his efforts with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Agenda and the directives provided by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

Maida asked telecom operators to put policies in place that would guarantee the industry’s sustained expansion, acknowledging the sector’s vital role in the economy.