Despite 50% hike, Nigeria’s telecoms tariffs still cheap – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has explained that competition has made the country’s telecommunications service tariffs remain relatively cheap despite the recent tariff hike. The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. Maida said the voice call rate in Nigeria still hovers around N18 […]

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has explained that competition has made the country’s telecommunications service tariffs remain relatively cheap despite the recent tariff hike.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

Maida said the voice call rate in Nigeria still hovers around N18 per minute since the early 2000s due to healthy competition in the telecoms sector.

“But today, even with the 50 per cent, up to 50 per cent increase, which, by the way, not all of them did. Right now, I’m inundated with complaints that, oh, this person is refusing to retire the old tariff, or that person is trying to undercut you. It’s about N18 (per minute).

“I think the most expensive is about 18 or 19 naira per minute. So in the early 2000s, we were 15 Naira. Today, the maximum is N18. That’s competition at work.”

He assured that the commission would scale up rules and enforcement to encourage competitiveness, including adequate disclosure by operators in the country’s telecoms industry.

“But like I said, we can’t scale that approach of rules and enforcement. So what are we doing to complement that? We are adopting a strategy of information disclosure.”

He also cautioned Nigerians against relying on Truecaller for identity verification, stating that the platform is not linked to the country’s SIM registration database and often produces misleading results.

“Truecaller is not a formal platform for verifying identities,” adding that the NCC has no control over the names subscribers use during SIM registration.

He explained that the app functions by uploading users’ address books, which can lead to inaccurate associations. “If somebody uses derogatory language, Truecaller will actually record whatever you have put against that name.

“Whatever we see in Truecaller is not necessarily a reflection of the truth. It is not an authority on record,” he said.

Maida further clarified that while all SIMs in Nigeria are registered, not all are used by the individuals who registered them.

“I can authoritatively say that there’s no unregistered SIM operating in the network,” he said.

He expressed concern over practices where individuals send domestic staff to register SIMs on their behalf to conceal their identities. “You are actually committing a crime,” he warned.

To address this, Maida said the NCC would intensify public enlightenment campaigns.

“If anything happens, I can give a name to say this is the person who registered that SIM. And of course, when they hold you, you can now start explaining what you know,” he said.

On industry reforms, Maida announced that NCC would launch a public coverage and tariff map in September to help subscribers choose networks based on service quality and pricing.

He also emphasised the need for fresh capital and improved corporate governance.

Maida also addressed spectrum management, revealing plans for spectrum trades to optimise usage.

He also noted that most Nigerian phones support 4G, which he described as the “sweet spot” for mobile broadband.

He assured that the spectrum trades, including leases, would be concluded within a month, promising improved service delivery and enhanced national security.