Breaking: NCC Grants Approval for Tariff Increase, Sets 50% Cap

This is in accordance with its authority to control and authorize tariff rates and charges by telecommunications providers under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 (NCA).

Reuben Muoka, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, said in a statement that the adjustment, which is limited to no more than 50% of current tariffs and is less than the 100% that some network operators have demanded, was made while taking into consideration ongoing industry reforms that will have a positive impact on sustainability.
“As is the Commission’s regular procedure for tariff reviews, requests will be examined on an individual basis, and these modifications will stay within the tariff bands outlined in the 2013 NCC Cost Study. Strict adherence to the recently released NCC Guidance on Tariff Simplification, 2024, shall govern its implementation.

Despite the rising operating costs that telecom operators must contend with, tariff rates have not changed since 2013. According to the statement, the authorized modification aims to close the large discrepancy between operating costs and current prices without compromising service delivery to customers.

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The NCC claims that these changes will let operators continue to invest in innovation and infrastructure, which will eventually benefit customers by improving connectivity and services like higher coverage, better network quality, and improved customer service.

Finding a balance between safeguarding telecom customers and maintaining the industry’s viability—including the thousands of local suppliers and vendors that are an essential component of the telecommunications ecosystem—has been a top priority for the NCC.

“The NCC continues to have a great deal of empathy for the effects of tariff modifications and acknowledges the financial strains that Nigerian homes and companies are under. In light of this, the Commission has ordered operators to make these changes in a way that is fair to customers and transparent. Operators must also show quantifiable gains in service delivery while educating and informing the public about the new charges.

Furthermore, the NCC reiterates its commitment to developing a robust, inventive, and inclusive telecommunications industry. In addition to safeguarding consumers, the Commission’s initiatives aim to encourage local suppliers and vendors, guarantee the industry’s long-term viability, and foster the expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy as a whole.

In order to establish a telecommunications environment that benefits all parties—one that safeguards customers, assists operators, and maintains the ecosystem that powers connection throughout the country—the NCC will keep interacting with stakeholders in its capacity as a regulator, the statement continued.