The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared a nationwide mass rally on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in response to the 50 per cent tariff increase approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The protest is to cover the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the NLC said the decision followed extensive discussions on pressing national issues.
The Congress had earlier threatened to boycott telecommunication services, describing the tariff hike as an “assault on workers welfare” and “an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats.”
NLC President Joe Ajaero highlighted the economic strain on Nigerians, emphasizing that telecommunication services are essential for communication, work, and access to information.
“For a worker earning the current minimum wage of ₦70,000, this means an increase from ₦7,000 to a staggering ₦10,500 per month or 15 per cent of his salary—a cost that is unsustainable,” Ajaero lamented.
He criticized the government for prioritizing corporate profits over citizens’ welfare, stating, “It is shocking that the government approved this 50 per cent tariff increase for telecom companies within a month, yet took nearly a year to approve the recent minimum wage for workers, despite the rising cost of living and inflation eroding purchasing power.”
Ajaero announced the rejection of the 50 per cent telecom tariff hike, describing it as excessively harsh on citizens.
“NAC-in-session therefore strongly condemns the Nigeria Communications Commission’s decision to approve the increase in telecommunications tariffs,” he revealed.
According to him, the decision is “insensitive, unjustifiable, and a direct assault on Nigerian workers and the general populace, who are already burdened by worsening economic hardship foisted on them by policies of government which was no fault of theirs.”
“To express our collective opposition to this arbitrary tariff hike, the NLC will embark on a nationwide mass rally on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
“The rally will serve as a warning on the dangers of imposing such an unfair increase on a struggling population earning a minimum wage of only ₦70,000; a population that has suffered outrageous hikes in the price of petrol, high food costs, rising electricity tariffs, and general inflation.”
He directed all NLC affiliates and state councils to begin full mobilization for the nationwide protest rally.
“Willing civil society allies are also encouraged to join the preparation. The Congress calls on all Nigerian workers, the informal sector, and the general public to stand in solidarity against this unjust policy,” the communiqué sent to THE WHISTLER reads.
The NAC-in-session also proposed dialogue, demanding an immediate suspension of the 50 per cent tariff hike.
It stated, “We call on the Federal Government, the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), and the National Assembly to engage in meaningful dialogue with critical stakeholders to review the proposed tariff adjustment within the context of the economic realities facing Nigerians.
“Should these not be heeded, the Nigeria Labour Congress will escalate its actions, including the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services and further mass actions which may involve nationwide withdrawal of our service to resist policies that exacerbate poverty and inequality.”
