The Minister of Communication Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr. Bosun Tijani has attributed the recent 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs to global inflation and rising operational costs.
Tijani gave the explanation 24 hours after the stakeholders meeting in the communication sector approved a 50% tariff increment on calls and data.
The Minister spoke with journalists after he appeared before the joint National Assembly committees on communication.
Also Read: Nigeria Approves Telecom Tariff Increase
He said that the decision aligns with broader economic patterns, where tariffs can lead to higher consumer prices due to the added costs on imported goods. He was at National Assembly to defend his Ministry’s budget of N12 billion for 2025.
Tijani stated that 50% adjustment aligns with broader economic trends.
The Minister said , “Historically, tariffs act as a sales tax, causing a one-off price increase rather than sustained inflation.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria is planning to invest N6bn to deploy 90 kilometers of fiber optic cable.
“This is at expanding the country’s capacity from 35,000 kilometers to 125,000 kilometers”
The Minister of Communications, during the 2025 budget defence session said the planned deployment of fibre optic cable is an initiative aimed at fostering growth in critical communication sectors.
The last hike was 12 years ago and the new tariff hike comes amid agitations by telecom operators in the last two years, demanding for 100% increase.
ThisDay