The Minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has attributed the recent tariff hike by mobile network operators (MNOs) to global inflation and high operational costs.
Speaking after a closed-door budget defence session with the National Assembly Joint Committee on Information, Communication, and Technology on Tuesday, Tijani highlighted the financial challenges facing telecom companies.
He explained that telcos have been struggling with rising operational expenses and inflationary pressures for years, including the high cost of essential materials.
The Minister emphasised that these issues are not unique to Nigeria but part of a global economic challenge.
Tijani reassured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to sustaining the telecommunication sector and safeguarding consumer interests.
“The hike in price is based on inflation globally. This is a sector that has not increased prices for a long time; what the government has been doing is managing the situation.
“They have been crying out for a long time that they are struggling with the cost of diesel. This is not a problem that is unique to Nigerians,” Tijani stated.
Tijani further assured that the government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is monitoring the situation to ensure that MNOs continue to provide high-quality services.
“We will ensure that MNOs can continue to deliver the best quality services to the people. The NCC is doing a lot of tracking now to ensure that the quality of the services people will get is of good quality,” he noted.
