By Felicia Udeji
Nigerians will now pay significantly more for phone calls, SMS, and data services as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approves new tariffs, effective immediately. Call charges have increased from N6.40 to N9.60 per minute at minimum, with the average cost now N16.50 per minute up from N11 Maximum call rates have risen to N50 per minute.
SMS prices have also jumped from N4 to N6 per message, while 1GB of data now costs N525, up from N350 .
The NCC justifies the hike as necessary to address the rising operational costs faced by telecom operators. It claims the adjustment will improve service quality, expand network coverage, and fund new technologies. The commission reduced the operators’ original request for a 100% increase, approving only the current adjustments to ease the burden on consumers.
Consumer groups, however, are pushing back. The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has criticized the move as excessive and plans to take legal action. According to NATCOMS, a smaller increase of 5%-10% would have been more reasonable, especially as Nigerians continue to grapple with high living costs. They warn that these higher tariffs will impact both individual users and small businesses, including POS operators, who rely heavily on affordable communication services.
To cope with the price changes, consumers are advised to budget more for communication, use Wi-Fi wherever possible, and monitor data usage to avoid unnecessary costs. Free apps like WhatsApp or Telegram can help reduce SMS and call expenses, while choosing affordable bundles can minimize the impact. Planning calls to be shorter and enabling data-saving features on devices are other smart ways to adjust.
For now, Nigerians must adapt to the new reality, as consumer groups continue their fight for fairer rates. The NCC, however, maintains that the increase will lead to better telecom services in the future.