The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered Nigerians to boycott major telecommunication services, including MTN, Airtel, and Glo, in response to a 50% tariff hike imposed by the telecom companies. According to NLC President Joe Ajaero, the hike is a betrayal of trust, as a 10-man committee involving labour representatives and the Federal Government was still reviewing the new tariff structure before a final decision.
But as expected, the telecom firms ignored the process and went ahead with the increase. In response, the NLC has declared a daily telecom boycott between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, starting February 13, 2025, until the end of the month. If the tariffs are not reversed, the union is threatening a nationwide shutdown of telecom operations from March 1, 2025.
Can Nigerians Really Afford a Telecom Boycott?
Now, let’s be honest, Does NLC actually believe Nigerians will abandon their telecom services for three hours daily? This is 2025, and millions of people rely on these networks for work, education, and survival. Expecting citizens to boycott data and calls in a country where digital access is essential is not just unrealistic but outright laughable.
The reality is that Nigerians are already struggling with outrageous telecom bills, unreliable network services, and constant deductions. The real issue is that telecom giants operate unchecked, raising prices at will without significant backlash. If NLC was serious about protecting Nigerians, they would have fought this battle years ago instead of issuing empty threats now.
Government’s Silence Fuels the Exploitation
As usual, the Federal Government is sitting back and watching the chaos unfold. Despite setting up a review committee, the government clearly knew the telecom firms would not wait for any “approval” before implementing price increases. Meanwhile, the government itself is benefitting from the high tariffs through multiple taxes and levies, so why would they care?
Even as Nigerians groan under economic hardship, new tax reforms are in the works, and NLC claims to be monitoring the situation. But what exactly are they doing beyond issuing statements? Instead of fighting for real economic reforms, they are playing the hero with a weak telecom boycott strategy that is destined to fail.
At this point, it’s the same cycle of NLC making noise, the government pretending to care, corporations doing whatever they like, and Nigerians suffering in silence.
