Activists and Users Criticize NCC & Telcos Over Customer Penalties

The recent increase in phone rates has left Nigerians, especially those in the north, in a state of extreme distress.

Remember that in the midst of widespread suffering, the Nigerian Communications Commission, or NCC, recently authorized a 50% pricing increase for service providers.

Nigerians continue to deplore this trend, particularly those in the north whose businesses rely on the telecom sector for survival.

Data powers every order Zainab takes and every payment she gets, in which we can see from the tale of Zainab Idris, who is a Kano food vendor and single mother. However, she can no longer afford to stay connected due to the recent 50% increase in communication rates. According to Zainab, she uses her phone to take orders and do mobile banking. Now she spends twice as much for half the access, as she said this in frustration lining in her voice. “We’re being punished for being connected,” she said.

After the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50% rise in telecom charges in January 2025, Zainab’s experience is representative of a broader national fight. Millions of Nigerians now have to pay to stay online as a result of the decision, which was prompted by demands from telecom companies struggling with inflation, growing diesel prices, and unstable foreign exchange.

Many people are worried that the current administration of the NCC has let Nigerian telecom consumers down by protecting the interests of a select few operators at the expense of the country’s citizens.

The rise has interfered with everyday routines and access to necessary services for everyone from office workers and small-scale merchants to students and rural traders. In a nation where over 60% of people live in multidimensional poverty, the price of 1GB of data has painfully increased from roughly ₦300 to over ₦500.

A Final-year Student from the Bayero University, Fatima Yusuf claims that the raise is having an impact on her academic achievement. She clarified, by saying that she relies heavily on the internet for her research for her final project. Since the recent price increase, she has had to cut down. Sometimes, she goes days without being online. How will she and her peers in the same shoes learn in this way in this condition? Fatima remarked, “We’re used to adjusting.”

This one hurts, though. Communication is essential to our lives, education, and employment; it is not a luxury.

Telecom companies have justified the hike by pointing to operational pressures, such as rising energy prices and inflation rates exceeding 33%. The NCC agreed to a 50 percent rate increase, whereas operators had originally demanded a 100 percent increase.

However, civil society organizations and consumer rights groups argue the timing couldn’t be worse. The NCC and the Federal Government are being sued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which claims that the action violates citizens’ rights to communication, education, and information.

Additionally, in March, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protested in several major cities, calling on the government to overturn the ruling. The NCC reacted by arguing that the increase was “unavoidable for service continuity” and making references to potential aid packages for users who were at risk.

Digital rights campaigner Fadhila Nurudeen, who is located in Kano, contends that the ruling goes against Nigeria’s objectives for digital development.

“Rather than stifling affordable access, the government ought to be encouraging it,” she stated. “This hike increases the digital divide, particularly between people in rural and urban areas.”

Small-scale data resellers are not exempt either. Roadside airtime kiosk operator Hajara Isah remarked, “People come to buy data and when they hear the new prices, they just walk away.” “It also affects her own business.”

Many Nigerians are compelled to limit their internet use or rely on SMS and traditional voice calls as economic realities and digital needs collide. However, as more services such as communication, business, and education move online, millions of more people could be left behind.

Experts caution that in Nigeria’s increasingly unequal digital landscape, access to data may soon become a luxury unless immediate action is taken.