By Balogun Tumininu.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is set to embark on a nationwide mass rally on February 4, 2025, to protest the 50% telecom tariff increase approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The decision was made during an emergency meeting convened by the NLC’s National Administrative Council (NAC).
According to NLC President Joe Ajaero, the rally will serve as a warning against imposing unfair increases on a struggling population earning a minimum wage of only ₦70,000. The NLC argues that Nigerians are already burdened by hikes in petrol prices, food costs, electricity tariffs, and rising inflation.
The NLC has directed its affiliates and state councils to begin mobilizing for the protest and has called on willing civil society allies to join the effort. The union has also urged all Nigerian workers, the informal sector, and the general public to stand in solidarity against the policy.
The NLC has demanded an immediate suspension of the 50% tariff hike and has called on the Federal Government, the NCC, and the National Assembly to engage in meaningful dialogue with stakeholders to review the proposed tariff adjustment. If this demand is not met, the NLC has threatened to escalate its actions, including a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services and further mass actions.
The NLC has also condemned the NCC’s decision, calling it “insensitive, unjustifiable, and a direct assault on Nigerian workers and the general populace.”