Osamagbe Imadiyi
The federal government has suggested increasing telecom rates by 30–60% in order to maintain the vital telecom industry while keeping prices within Nigerians’ means.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, revealed this in an interview on Channels Television yesterday. He said that KPMG and other independent consultants had provided recommendations.
Dr. Tijani denied operators’ calls for a 100% increase, explaining that the government was thinking about a more modest increase to balance consumer affordability with the sector’s sustainability and future expansion.
He stated: “The Nigerian digital economy depends on the telecommunications industry, which employs thousands of people and accounts for more than 16 percent of our GDP.” But in order to keep the sector viable, it is imperative that services continue to be available.
Dr. Tijani highlighted that the tariff review would give consumer interests and sector sustainability top priority while announcing important ministry updates.
According to him, the Nigerian Communications Commission, or NCC, was in charge of the procedure and making recommendations based on analysis of the data.
Regarding investments in rural connectivity, he stated: “The government is deploying 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic networks and building telecom towers in remote regions through Special Purpose Vehicles, SPVs, to address connectivity challenges in underserved areas.”
Speaking about Nigeria’s leadership in the resilience of the world’s telecommunications infrastructure, Dr. Tijani mentioned recent initiatives to handle disruptions in submarine cables.
He reaffirmed that the government is committed to establishing telecom infrastructure as a vital national asset and to harmonizing taxes. In addition to promising better service delivery, the minister said operators would be held responsible for any interruptions.
