The intended protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against the 50% hike in telecommunications tariffs has been put on hold. Following a Monday meeting between the labour union and the Federal government team headed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, the decision was made.
The meeting accessed by BrandSpur telecom and information news desk was intended to preserve industrial peace and safeguard Nigerians’ interests, according to a statement signed by Seguin Imohiosen, Director of Information & Public Relations in the SGF’s office.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, he added that Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, stated that the meeting’s goal was to examine the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) study that resulted in the 50% increase in telecommunications rates. Following much discussion, the two organizations decided to form a 10-member committee, with five members from the Federal Government and five from the NLC, to examine the study and provide a report in two weeks.
Continuing, he had this to say: “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 the government and the organised Labour for final consideration.”
According to Comrade Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, the union will wait for the Committee’s decision before deciding on its next course of action.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Aminu Maida, Minister of Labor and Employment, Alhaji Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijanni, were among those in attendance.
Last Wednesday, the NLC announced that it would stage a nationwide demonstration on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, to protest the NCC’s recently approved 50% telecom tariff rise.
However, the NLC stated that the rally would serve as a warning about the perils of enforcing such an unjust increase on a population that is already struggling and making only ₦70,000 per year, a population that has seen astronomical increases in the price of food, gasoline, electricity, and inflation in general.
