Groups Oppose NLC Protest Over Telecom Price Hike

The Nigeria Labour Congress’s (NLC) intentions to demonstrate against the proposed 50% increase in telecommunications rates on February 4 have been thwarted by the group, the Nigeria Citizen Watch for Good Governance (NCWGG).

The Nigeria Labour Congress leadership is negotiating with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Communications to prevent a countrywide demonstration against the 50% increase in communication rates that is planned for February 4, 2025.

According to the organization, Nigerian workers, the telecom sector, and the nation as a whole would not benefit from the planned demonstration. Citing current operating costs, the Nigerian Communications Commission has allowed a 50% pricing rise for telecom businesses.

Collins Idowu, the group’s president, said in a statement that the NLC’s decision to call for a protest was inappropriate since it ignored the steps that were considered before the NCC decided to accept just 50%.

Disappointed by the outcome, the NLC promised to launch a state-wide demonstration and urged the National Assembly and the Federal Government to temporarily return to the previous price and in contrast to previous requests for a rate rise of more than 100%, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a 50% pricing adjustment for cellular providers.

“A struggling population earning a minimum wage of only N70,000; a population that has suffered an outrageous hike in the price of gasoline, high cost of food, hike in electricity tariff, among sundry hardship in the past few years,” the union said, adding that the rally would serve as a warning on the dangers of imposing such an unfair increase.”

“When the NLC decided to call for protests over the recent approval for telecommunications operators to adjust their tariffs by 50%, it took a leap before thinking,” the statement said. Did they take into account the expenses and losses these telecom firms had incurred in recent years in order to maintain their services? Did the NLC think about what would have happened if the request had been denied by the NCC, and the ensuing collapse of the telecom industry as a result of operators’ incapacity to continue operating?

Did Labour take into account the millions of jobs, both direct and indirect, that would be impacted if the telecom sector failed because it could no longer finance its operations? Did Labour think about the implications if Nigerians were unable to access the internet or make phone calls due to the collapse of telecoms services because they were unable to continue operating their sites?

“Labour’s response to the telecom rate adjustment problem was regrettable and irrational. Demanding that the NCC hold telecom providers accountable for providing Nigerians with high-quality telecom services is what sensible Nigerians would have expected from them.

According to the statement, “they have not given careful consideration to the foolishness of their actions because they do not care about the average Nigerian worker.”

The group said it would mobilize its members throughout the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory to quell any protests against the telecom tariff hike, calling the NLC protest “an act of economic sabotage against the Nigerian people, and President Bola Tinubu administration.” The group claimed that the increase was a reasonable step to protect the telecom sector.

Peter Akpatason, the chairman of the House Committee on Communications, stated in an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH that the panel was already contacting the NLC to cancel the scheduled large-scale demonstration.

Nigerians will suffer much more if the planned demonstration were permitted to take place, according to Akpatason, who represents Edo State’s Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.

The committee he chairs is already contacting labour leadership and industry operators to prevent any action that might worsen the situation for the people, he stated.

“Earlier, we met with industry operators, who gave us an overview of the many issues facing the sector, including a lack of money for infrastructure upgrades to address customer complaints about low coverage and diminishing service quality. I will suggest that before starting any demonstrations, we take an unbiased look at the problems.

In a similar vein, Reuben Mouka, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, told our reporter that the commission was attempting to communicate with the NLC on the new telecom rate.