Tariff Hike: PTECSSAN, NANS Advise NLC to Shun Planned Protest

Emma Okonji in Lagos and Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has written to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), warning that the planned NLC strike to boycott telecommunications services in protest of the 50 per cent hike in telecoms tariff, will not address the issue on ground.

In a related development, Nigerian Students under the aegis of the ‘National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have disassociated themselves from the planned protest by the NLC against the recent tariff hike.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had earlier in a statement, condemned the 50 per cent tariff increase and described it as an unjust burden on citizens already grappling with economic challenges.

Ajaero therefore urged Nigerians to reject the tariff hike and prepare for collective action, including the possibility of a mass boycott of telecoms services, and called for the reversal of the tariff increase.
However, the National Vice President of NANS, who addressed journalists in Gombe yesterday, said, the association was committed to advocating for the welfare and interests of Nigerian students not a protest that may not directly benefit its members.

“We cannot be part of a protest that may not directly benefit our members.
Furthermore, we are concerned that the NLC protest may not be well-thought-out, and may not achieve its intended objectives,” he said.

Also, in a separate letter addressed to the NLC President, dated January 27, 2025, and signed by the General Secretary of PTECSSAN, Okonu Abdullahi, the body said the leadership of NLC acted in error in taking such a decision without prior consultation with the union members that operate in the sector.

According to the letter, “The media was awash with the rejection and condemnation by the Nigeria Labour Congress of the approval of the federal government on the tariff increase approved in the telecommunication sector. As we set in motion steps to discuss the subject matter with the leadership of the congress, we saw the communique released at the end of the meeting of the National Administrative Council of the Congress directing affiliate unions to commence mobilisation of their members for protest on February 7, 2025.

“It is our firm belief that the congress leadership has acted in error in taking these decisions without prior consultation with our Union that operates in the sector. Perhaps getting in touch with us to provide information on the happenings in the sector would have assisted the leadership in taking a better decision than it had taken.”
Part of the letter read: “While we appreciate the concerns of the congress over the burden the planned increase will have on the masses, we would like to call its attention to the fact that the increment is inevitable and as a matter of fact it is done in good faith to avoid impending collapse of the sector.

“Recall, Sir, that from inception of this government, it removed subsidy on fuel which led to exponential increment in the prices of petroleum products. This has increased the cost of maintaining the telecommunication sites across the country. The petroleum product, Automated Gas Oil, used in powering the various base stations that make possible telecommunications services across the country has skyrocketed in price from N842.25 to an average of NI,441.28 between 29th May, 2023 and today 27th January, 2025. Similarly, the Petrol Motor Spirit used to fuel the field engineers’ cars who maintain the base stations has also skyrocketed, from N198 to NI,030 or higher depending on the location in the country within the same period. The field engineers, both base station and fibre maintaining officers, running into several thousands in number must fuel their vehicles to enable them move around to do their jobs now spend so much to do their job.