Business

Hardship: Nationwide protest looms as Nigerians reject telecom tariff increase

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2025

590 Views

A nationwide protest is currently brewing in Nigeria following the recent approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for telecommunication operators to increase tariff by 50%.

Following the mounting financial struggles birthed by the devaluation of the naira and increasing operational costs in Africa’s most populous nation, telecom operators like MTN and Airtel had demanded a 100% tariff increase.

However, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, on Monday, January 20 announced the approval of a 50% tariff increase.

By the time the Mobil Network Operators implement the approved tariff, Nigerians are expected to pay N16.5 per minute for calls from N11, the cost of SMS to N6 from N4, and the cost of 1 gigabit of data – N431.25.

There are, however, stiff oppositions from some stakeholders, who argued that the increment is coming at the wrong time, citing the economic hardship bedeviling the nation at the moment.

Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC had, while reacting to the proposed tariff increase, rallied Nigerians to reject “another harsh burden”, threatening to mobilize workers to boycott telecom services.

Similarly, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC described the tariff scheduled to begin in February as outrageous, lamenting that it will worsen the harsh living conditions of workers and Nigerians.

Halt the tariff hike now – Yunusa Tanko tells FG

In an exclusive interview on Saturday, the National Coordinator, OBIDIENT Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko urged the Federal Government to halt the tariff increase, saying it is a “wrong timing, wrong action and wrong choice”.

According to him, a “50% tariff increase by the NCC at this time is only a final burial to the already struggling economy.

“All sectors of the economy need adequate communication to keep up with their game; the outturn will be spontaneous”.

Yunusa lamented that there “was an influx of 14 million Nigerians into poverty in one year, caused by uninformed government policies and poor economic decisions”, stressing that the country has “never experienced this height of surge since her independence”.

Business

Cybercriminals cloning DStv, other brands to steal bank accounts across Africa

According to cybersecurity company NordVPN, the campaign distributes Remote Access Trojans (RATs) and banking trojans, forms of malware that can give criminals control over infected devices and access to sensitive information.

Published

23 hours ago

August 21, 2026

OCHEFA

19 Views

Cybercriminals are impersonating popular companies and government agencies across Africa in a campaign designed to take over smartphones and bank accounts.

More than 100 fake websites linked to the malware campaign have been identified since August 2025.

Brands including DStv, Takealot and South African Airways, as well as the South African Revenue Service (SARS), are being used to make fraudulent messages and websites appear legitimate.

The attacks are particularly concerning in South Africa, where Android dominates the mobile operating system market.

NordVPN said the attacks typically begin with social engineering, where criminals send convincing messages through SMS, WhatsApp or social media.

The messages may contain urgent offers or requests involving job opportunities, tax refunds, identity renewals or pension verification.

Victims are then directed to fake websites designed to closely resemble the official websites of trusted organisations.

The sites encourage users to download an Android application. Once installed, the malicious software can operate quietly in the background, including after the smartphone is restarted.

Business

Cement price hits N16,000 per bag

The current cement prices mark a steep rise from late 2024, when a bag sold for around N7,500.

Published

24 hours ago

August 21, 2026

OCHEFA

25 Views

• Chairman of BUA cement, Abdul Samad Rabiu (ASR)

Cement dealers across Nigeria have announced fresh price increases, with a 50kg bag now selling for as much as N16,000 in some markets, up from N13,000 recorded by buyers just days earlier.

The current cement prices mark a steep rise from late 2024, when a bag sold for around N7,500.

By the third quarter of 2025, that had risen to about N9,000 before reaching the N12,000 to N16,000 range now seen across different locations.

Other building materials have followed a similar upward path. Blocks have climbed from around N600 to N1,100 each.

Sand has gone from N165,000 to N250,000 per 30 tonnes. Granite has risen from N530,000 to N780,000 per 30 tonnes.

Reinforcing steel now costs N1.15 million per tonne, up from N850,000.