Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, is having discussions with representatives from telecommunications companies due to increasing concerns about rising call and data tariffs. Sources from DAILY POST report that the meeting includes telcos such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom, and 9Mobile, among others. The media, key stakeholders, and government regulatory agencies like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are also anticipated to participate in the meeting. Andrew Agyo, a senior member of the media team at the Ministry of Innovations and Digital Economy, could not confirm the meeting when contacted for the report. “I am not aware of the meeting,” he stated to the DAILY POST. Recently, MTN and Airtel submitted requests to the NCC for new tariff hike approvals. The DAILY POST recalls that telecommunications companies had previously warned of a sector shutdown if their tariff increase request was not approved. However, the NCC has not yet authorized any new tariff increases beyond the 2013 pricing framework. Additionally, telecom subscribers have urged service providers to explore alternatives to increasing tariffs.
