NLC Suspends Planned Nationwide Protest Over Telecom Tariff Hike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its planned protest against the recent 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs following discussions with the Federal Government.

This decision came after a meeting between the NLC and a government delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, on Monday.

According to a statement from Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information & Public Relations in the SGF’s office, the meeting aimed to promote industrial peace while addressing concerns over the tariff hike.

During the discussions, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the increase was based on a study conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

To address concerns raised by labour, both parties agreed to form a 10-member committee—five representatives each from the government and the NLC to review the NCC study and present its findings within two weeks.

“So, the summary of it is that Labour and the Nigerian Labour Congress specifically and the delegation of the federal government have set up a committee of five each.

“We are going to meet here continuously for the next two weeks. And at the end of the second week, we will now come up with a recommendation that we will give to government and the organised Labour for final consideration”, Idris said.

Following the meeting, NLC President Joe Ajaero emphasized that the union would wait for the committee’s recommendations before deciding on its next steps.

He noted that the government had also agreed to form a broader committee to assess the entire telecom tariff structure, ensuring all stakeholders, including labour, were involved in future decisions.

Ajaero said, “We emphasized that the NLC is the largest organisation in Africa, and no stakeholder consultation can exclude us and still stand.

“On that basis, they agreed to form a broader committee to ensure a fair and inclusive agreement to look at the entire tariff structure as a model to come out with a realistic and all-inclusive agreement.”

“So the committee will be made up of five representatives, from both sides and expected to come out with a result after two weeks.

“That will determine the next line of action and the process of engagement. The symbolic action of submitting the letters tomorrow will be put on hold until the outcome of such a committee.

“The outcome of such a committee is what will determine our next line of action in terms of protest, in terms of boycott, and in terms of even withdrawal of services, which are the three issues we put online.”

He further clarified that while the planned symbolic submission of protest letters would be put on hold, the union’s next course of action—whether through protests, boycotts, or other measures—would depend on the committee’s findings.

Beyond telecom tariffs, Ajaero pointed out that the NLC remains deeply concerned about other economic hardships facing Nigerians, such as high electricity tariffs and excessive taxation on workers.

“We have also expressed our displeasure over the high electricity tariff and the unbearable tax regime, which is killing workers. These remain unresolved issues that must be addressed,” he said.

The meeting was attended by several key government officials, including Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijanni, Minister of Finance Wale Edun, NCC CEO Dr. Aminu Maida, Minister of Labour Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

KanyiDaily recalls that the NLC had previously announced plans for a nationwide rally on February 4, 2025, to oppose the telecom tariff increase. The union argued that imposing such a steep hike on a population struggling with inflation, rising fuel costs, and a minimum wage of just ₦70,000 would worsen economic hardship.