One of the prominent telecommunications companies in the country, MTN Nigeria, has implemented a tariff hike, increasing the prices of data.
The tariff hike has sparked significant concern and frustration among subscribers as one of the data plans was increased by 200 per cent as against 50 per cent increase approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
For instance, a 15GB data bundle/per week that previously cost ₦2,000 is now ₦6,000, representing a 200% increase.
This comes as MTN Nigeria has been advocating for a tariff hike for several years, citing the need to offset rising operational costs.
In January 2025, NCC, the industry regulator, had approved a 50% tariff hike, following years of negotiations and studies, including a cost-based study by KPMG commissioned by the NCC.
The NCC said the approval was based on Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and aimed to address the gap between operational costs and current tariffs.
The NCC also argued that the adjustment is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the telecom sector, which is critical to Nigeria’s digital economy.
This approval came despite initial resistance from subscribers and civil society groups, who argued that the timing was insensitive given Nigeria’s economic hardships.
Following the NCC’s approval, it was observed that MTN, on February 11, 2025, increased data prices.
Further checks revealed that the 1.5GB monthly plan, previously priced at N1,000, has been replaced by a 1.8GB plan now costing N1,500.
Similarly, the 15GB plan has increased from N4,500 to N6,500, while the 20GB plan now costs N7,500, up from N5,500 and the 1.5TB plan has increased from N150,000 to N240,000.
Other affected plans include; the 100GB bundle, which now costs N25,000 for 90GB, up from the previous price of N20,000 for 100GB. The 600GB bundle has also increased from N75,000 to N120,000 for 480GB.
The recent development has sparked an outpouring of reactions from Nigerians on social media, where a wave of dissatisfaction has emerged in response to the abrupt hike. Many users are taking to various platforms to voice their frustrations and share their opinions, highlighting the impact of this sudden increase on their daily lives.
Many subscribers have expressed frustration with the lack of prior notice and poor service quality, including dropped calls and slow internet speeds. An X user, Silva wrote: “Nigeria is a very difficult place to live in honestly. MTN waking up one day to increase their weekly 15gb data from 2k to 6k without prior warning is textbook insanity. That’s 24k in a month, almost the minimum wage of the country on data, bruh, this is hell.”
However, MTN and other telecom operators had in the past justified the tariff hike.
MTN Nigeria, in particular, reported a ₦519.1 billion loss in the first half of 2024, a development it said was largely due to forex losses and inflation.
The company also warned that without tariff adjustments, it risks insolvency.
Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, stated in October 2024, “There should be no delusion; if the tariff doesn’t go up, we will shut down.”
Similarly, Tobe Okigbo, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, noted in February 2025 that while the prices of essential goods like tomatoes and bread have increased by over 100%, telecom tariffs have remained stagnant for over a decade.
