Nigerians Find Alternatives as Cost of MTN, Airtel, Other Telco's Data Tariffs Become Unbearable
- Small and medium-sized business owners now depend on limited subscriptions to supply internet connectivity
- This followed the approval of a 50% increase in telecom prices instead of the 100% increase requested
- As of December 2023, Nigeria had over 224 million users, according to official NCC data
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
The cost of data subscriptions has increased, causing small and medium-sized business (SME) owners to rely on meagre subscriptions to provide internet connectivity.
Source: Getty Images
This occurred after the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) authorized a 50% telecom pricing rise rather than the 100% raise that the telecom companies had requested.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other organizations, however, responded to the authorized modification by calling for a reversal, but to no avail.
Small businesses suffering
Daily Trust reported that for small business owners, the increase in data costs since the start of the authorized 50% adjustment has left them feeling bitter.
One of the major telecommunications companies' N5000 data subscription ended in less than a week, according to Hassan Alabi, a PoS attendant who uses a router.
However, he claimed that using one of the internet service providers gives him comfort, mentioning the rollover plan and double data as examples.
“Before, I used to buy 20gb for N5,500 but now it is N6,000 for 18gb but it still lasts one month and when I not able to finish it, it automatically rolls over and that is for Spectranet.
“The last time I loaded N5,000 on a major telecommunication internet provider on my router, it was not up to one week when it read finished,” he said.
The owner of Bikita Studio, Olu Ojeniyi, said that the price of his data subscription had gone up from N2000 for a one-week bundle to N9000 for 15GB.
He characterized the increase as a financial burden, stating that users' use of the internet has been restricted due to the increase in data costs.
“Subscribers deserve transparency, reliability and value for their hard-earned money but we can’t say we are getting value for our hard-earned money,” he said.
In an interview, Prince Sina Bilesanmi, National President of the group of Telephone Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS), said that during the meeting where the tariff hike decision was made, the group asked telecom companies to enhance their services.
In addition to expressing concern for the situation of subscribers, he brought up the telecom operators' increased operational costs and departure danger.
“Directly or indirectly, over 60,000 might lose their jobs,” he said.
Source: Getty Images
He emphasized that the group will continue to monitor the telecom providers to ensure they fulfil their commitments to enhance their offerings.
“The telecom operators said they have shipped in equipment to improve the quality of their services, so we are waiting,” he said.
According to official NCC figures, Nigeria had more than 224 million customers as of December 2023. With more than 87 million members, MTN holds the largest market share of any licensed Mobile Network Operator (MNO) in the nation, accounting for 38.79% of the total.
9mobile has 13.9 million consumers, compared to 61 million for Globacom and Airtel.
Subscribers accuse 9Mobile of blocking them from switching
Legit.ng reported that a growing number of 9Mobile subscribers have lamented their inability to switch to other networks in February, with experts alleging that the embattled telco may be deliberately blocking porting requests.
The development has raised concerns among industry watchers, with the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NTACOMS) asking the Nigerian Communications Commission to intervene.
In January 2025, 9Mobile emerged as the biggest loser of subscribers. Many of its customers switched to other networks amid ongoing infrastructure problems at the telco.
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Source: Legit.ng
