No fresh telecom tariff hike under consideration, ALTON clarifies as NCC reviews industry pricing

Telecommunications operators have assured Nigerians that there are no immediate plans to increase call or data tariffs, clarifying that the ongoing pricing review by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is focused on wholesale charges between network operators rather than consumer-facing tariffs.

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television, dismissing reports suggesting that another tariff hike was being considered.

According to Adebayo, the NCC’s current review is a routine regulatory exercise aimed at determining fair wholesale rates charged between telecom operators when calls originate on one network and terminate on another.

“There are no conversations around tariff review at this time, and there are no discussions around upward review of tariffs for our consumers,” he said.

He explained that the exercise is designed to establish appropriate interconnection charges that reflect the cost of operating telecommunications networks while ensuring a healthy and sustainable industry.

“What the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has done is to commence what we call the process that determines the wholesale rate between operators, meaning that if I originate a call from my network and terminate on another network.

“The exercise is to determine how efficient it is to run a network and what is the fair price between one operator and another to ensure that you have a healthy industry,” Adebayo stated.

He added that the review also covers international calls that originate outside Nigeria and terminate on local networks, with the objective of establishing fair settlement rates for such services.

Adebayo stressed that the ongoing exercise should not be interpreted as a precursor to another increase in tariffs for subscribers, noting that wholesale pricing reviews are a standard regulatory practice in the telecommunications industry.

The clarification comes months after the NCC approved a 50 per cent tariff adjustment in 2025, which prompted mobile network operators to revise the prices of voice and data services.

Following the approval, MTN Nigeria increased the prices of several data bundles, with its monthly 1.8GB plan rising to N1,500 from the previous 1.5GB plan priced at N1,000. The operator also raised the cost of its 20GB and 15GB data plans to N7,500 and N6,500 respectively.

The tariff increase had sparked widespread criticism from consumers and labour unions, with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) calling for a boycott of telecommunications services in protest.

The latest clarification by ALTON indicates that the NCC’s ongoing review is limited to wholesale pricing arrangements between operators and is intended to promote operational efficiency, fair competition and the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, rather than introduce another round of tariff increases for consumers