Four charts showing new data prices as Nigeria hikes telecom tariff

By Mary Adenike

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday announced a new tariff increase for telephone calls, data, and SMS.

The announcement by the regulator followed a years-long agitation for tariff hikes by telecommunications companies, which have faced a harsh operating environment that has pushed up their operating costs by 300 percent over the years.

“The adjustment, capped at a maximum of 50 percent of current tariffs, though lower than the over 100 percent requested by some network operators, was arrived at taking into account ongoing industry reforms that will positively influence sustainability,” the NCC said in a statement.

With data subscriptions and phone calls representing a significant portion of household expenses, many Nigerians may spend 50 percent more on data subscriptions amid stubbornly high inflation at a near 30-year high.

Over the years, there has been an increasing reliance on mobile data for internet access and communication in Nigeria. According to the latest subscriber/network performance report by NCC, telcos reported more revenues in 2023 as a result of high data consumption. Their total revenue rose by 37.5 percent to N5.30 trillion from N3.86 trillion in 2022. 

Here are four charts showing new data prices.