By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over what it described as an “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable” increase of 50% in telecom tariffs.
The NCC recently approved the increase, raising the cost of a one-minute call from N11 to N16.5, the price of 1GB of data from N287.5 to N431.25, and SMS charges from N4 to N6.
In a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025), SERAP argued that the hike violates citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international treaties.
According to a statement released on Sunday by SERAP, titled “SERAP wants court to stop Tinubu govt, telcos from implementing 50% telecom tariff hike,” the organization stated: “The unilateral decision by the NCC to approve a 50% hike in telecom tariffs is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unfair. This action contravenes both the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 and international human rights standards.”
SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, Sa’id there is a failure in consultiu key stakeholders like the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission before implementing the hike.
He added, “The NCC’s action undermines citizens’ right to seek, receive, and impart information through communication media without discrimination.”
SERAP also lamented the economic challenges Nigerians face, referencing a report by the National Bureau of Statistics that revealed 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor.
The statement noted, “This tariff hike is happening at a time when Nigerians are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis. Many are struggling to afford basic necessities, let alone higher communication costs.”
The organization is seeking a court declaration that the hike violates constitutional provisions and an injunction to halt its implementation.
SERAP is also calling for the nullification of the NCC’s decision, describing it as “extortive, unreasonable, and a breach of due process.”
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, said, “Access to communication is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right. The government and the NCC have a duty to ensure that telecommunication services remain affordable, especially for the millions of Nigerians living in poverty.”