NLC Suspends March 1 Protest After Agreement With FG on 35% Telecom Tariff Hike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called off its planned protest for March 1, 2025, after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government to reduce the proposed telecom tariff hike from 50% to 35%.

The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers welcomed the decision on Thursday but urged authorities to introduce better relief measures for telecom operators.

On January 20, 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announced a 50% increase in telecom tariffs—the first major adjustment in over a decade. Telecom operators, citing inflation and currency depreciation, had initially proposed a 100% hike before the government intervened.

According to multiple NLC insiders, negotiations with the Federal Government led to the compromise, with a 10-member committee set up to finalize the agreement.

A top NLC source confirmed the deal, saying, “Have you not heard that an agreement has been reached between the NLC and the FG? The 50 per cent hike in telecom tariff has been reduced to 35 per cent as agreed by the 10-man committee.”

When asked if this meant the March 1 protest would no longer hold, the source responded, “That should be obvious.”