By Uzair Adam
MTN Nigeria has apologized for raising the price of its 15-gigabyte (GB) weekly data bundle by 200 percent but has further increased the cost despite the public outcry.
The telecom provider initially hiked the plan’s price from N2,000 to N6,000 as part of a broader tariff adjustment but later admitted the increase was a mistake.
“To our 15GB digital bundle lovers, you dey vex. We know,” MTN said in a statement. “We know how upsetting it must have been to suddenly wake up to a 200% increase on your favorite digital bundle.
“We could share several reasons and provide explanations, but omo, all that one na story. We don cast. We get it and admit it. Let’s just say na mistake.
“In this love season, don’t stay angry with us. Please forgive and forget. You matter die, and we will never stop showing you how much. Let’s continue our relationship. Thank you for your understanding.”
However, checks revealed that MTN not only raised the price further to N6,500 but also reclassified the 15GB bundle from a weekly to a monthly plan.
The tariff adjustments followed the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval of a request from telecom operators to increase prices, marking the first official review since 2013.
MTN’s price hike came despite the House of Representatives directing the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to suspend the 50 percent tariff hike approval.