12th February, 2025
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared an all-out battle against telecom giants over a sudden 50% tariff hike.
It vowed mass boycotts, economic disruptions, and a possible nationwide telecom shutdown if their demands are not met.
Rising from an emergency Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Tuesday, the NLC slammed telecommunications companies for what it described as a “brazen betrayal” of Nigerians, accusing them of defying an agreement reached with the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The union, in a communique signed by its President, Joe Ajaero and its Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, described the tariff hike as an outright declaration of war on Nigerian workers and the masses, saying the telecom companies had not only spat on the principles of negotiation but had openly ridiculed government institutions while exploiting the people for profit.
It insisted that the days of unchecked corporate exploitation were over and vowed to fight back.
As part of its resistance, the NLC has directed all Nigerian workers and citizens to stage a nationwide telecom boycott beginning on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
From 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM daily until the end of February, Nigerians are urged to switch off their mobile networks in protest.
The congress is also calling for a complete halt on the purchase of data from MTN, Airtel, and Glo, insisting that the companies must revert to the previous tariff or face a total shutdown of telecom services nationwide from March 1, 2025.
It is also demanding an immediate repatriation of funds allegedly siphoned abroad by telecom operators and has instructed all NLC state councils and affiliate unions to commence mass mobilization of workers and civil society allies to enforce what it calls “electronic silence.”
Beyond the telecom war, the CWC also took a swipe at the proposed Tax Reform Bills, warning that any fiscal policy that worsens the economic hardship of Nigerian workers will be fiercely resisted.
It insisted that tax reforms must be fair, equitable, and worker-friendly, vowing that the government would not be allowed to squeeze more money from the already overburdened workforce while allowing the rich to thrive unchecked.
As tensions build, the NLC is rallying Nigerians for what could become one of the biggest telecom protests in the country’s history.
The union has warned that if the telecom companies fail to reverse the tariff hike by the end of February, they should prepare for a total disruption of their operations nationwide.
