The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has called on telecommunication subscribers to reject the Federal Government’s recent approval of a 50% tariff hike on telecom services.

In a statement posted on its X account, the NLC wrote, “Reject This Tariff,” describing the increase as an excessive burden on already struggling Nigerians.

The Federal Government approved the hike after telecom operators initially requested a 100% increase. This is the first tariff adjustment in over a decade and is intended to revitalize the telecom sector, which contributes approximately 14% to Nigeria’s economy.

The new tariffs include an increase in call costs from N11 per minute to N16.50 per minute, SMS charges rising from N4 to N6 per message, and the cost of a 1GB data bundle jumping from N287.50 to N431.25.

The NLC expressed its dissatisfaction, stating, “A 50% telecom tariff hike is another burden too harsh on Nigerians.”

Separately, NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized the Federal Government’s approval of N8 billion for sensitizing Nigerians on the need to pay electricity bills.

“The power sector in Nigeria is on the brink of collapse due to gross incompetence. Despite the powers granted by the Electricity Act of 2023, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission has failed to protect consumers. Meanwhile, the Power Minister seems more focused on spending billions on unnecessary campaigns,” Ajaero said.

He also called for the resignation of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and other key officials over the recurring national grid collapses.

Ajaero argued that the frequent power grid failures under the current administration surpass those of all previous administrations combined. “This is a clear admission of failure. Instead of making excuses, they should resign and allow capable hands to take charge,” he said.

Ajaero also questioned the fairness of the electricity band system, which places consumers in different pricing tiers. He described the system as discriminatory and called for a review.

“The idea of placing some in Band A while others are in lower bands is unfair and discriminatory,” he added.

The NLC continues to voice strong opposition to policies it perceives as detrimental to Nigerians, urging the government to prioritize the welfare of its citizens.