The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has successfully pressured the Federal Government to reduce the recent telecom tariff increase from 50% to 35%.

This decision was made after a meeting between government representatives and NLC officials at the office of the National Security Adviser on Friday, February 21, 2025.

The NLC had strongly opposed the tariff hike by telecom companies, arguing that it violated an earlier agreement with the government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

In response, the labour group issued a warning that if the telecom firms did not reverse the increase by the end of February 2025, a complete shutdown of their operations would begin on March 1, 2025.

To show their seriousness, NLC leaders encouraged Nigerian workers and citizens to boycott MTN, Airtel, and Glo services daily from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM until the end of February. They also urged people to stop buying data from these telecom providers.

Following intense pressure from NLC representatives in a 10-man committee set up to discuss the issue, the government and NCC agreed to lower the tariff hike by 15%. An official statement confirming this reduction is expected soon.

Beyond telecom tariffs, the NLC also raised concerns about the government’s proposed tax reforms.

While supporting fiscal reforms, the labour union stressed that any new tax policies should ease the financial burden on Nigerian workers rather than make things worse.

The NLC remains firm in defending the rights of Nigerian workers and consumers. It continues to demand fairer economic policies, including lower telecom costs, just tax reforms, and better public services.

The group has called on Nigerians to stand together against policies that increase financial hardship.

Would you support a telecom boycott to push for lower tariffs? Share your thoughts in the comments!