The Workers Rights Campaign (WRC) stands in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress and working-class people across the country that have rejected the 50% increase in rates of telecommunication services such as voice call and data for internet use.
We welcome the decision reached by the National Administrative Council (NAC) of the NLC on Wednesday 29 January 2025 to organise a nationwide protest on 4 February 2025. Members and supporters of the WRC will join other working people in demonstrations across several states.
The inhumane increase in tariff which is being rightly resisted was to be introduced in the midst of ever-increasing hardship that working people are bearing already. The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) issued a press statement on 20 January 2025, delivering this information.
According to the regulatory body of telecommunications in the country said it will grant this tariff adjustment based on requests by Network Operators in response to prevailing market conditions.
But, this move is insensitive, considering the severe economic hardship that has been forced on the Nigerian people since President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural gift on May 29 with the removal of fuel subsidy without considering the multiplier effect on every aspect of our lives.
It is against this backdrop that the NLC is calling on Nigerian workers to embark on a protest on 4 February 2025, rejecting this hike that will further increase the hardship and economic woes of the Nigerian people.
The Workers Rights Campaign makes bold to state that the telecoms have not only been making huge profit, they have been collecting rent on top of the profit. It is not true that they need to raise the tariffs to make profits. For example, MTN Nigeria declared a profit of over 4 billion Naira for just Q3 2024 only, amidst this same prevailing market conditions.
The Workers Rights Campaign therefore calls on working-class people and youths, including the unorganised in the informal economy, to come out en-masse to make our collective grievance and displeasure clear to the Nigerian state/government and Network Operators on Tuesday.
We also urge NLC to keep the faith with action on that day and also take it beyond a one-off event. We must take all necessary action, including a series of demonstrations, a massive petition campaign, and even strike action to push home the demands being made and which must be clear: not a kobo more on telecoms services.
We must dare to struggle and dare to win.
Kelvin AYEMHENRE
National Coordinator
Workers Rights Campaign
