The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared a nationwide protest set for Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in strong opposition to the proposed 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs.
The one-day rally, which will hold across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is aimed at resisting what the union describes as an “insensitive and unjustifiable” hike.
In a communiqué signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, at the end of a National Administrative Council meeting in Abuja, the NLC also issued a stern warning to state governments and employers failing to implement the N70,000 minimum wage and corresponding salary adjustments by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
“The rally will serve as a warning on the dangers of imposing such an unfair increase on a struggling population earning a minimum wage of only N70,000,” the statement read.
“This is a population already burdened by outrageous hikes in petrol prices, soaring food costs, increased electricity tariffs, and rising inflation.”
The Congress directed its affiliates and state councils to begin full-scale mobilisation, calling on civil society groups and the general public to join in the resistance against the tariff adjustment.
Beyond the protest, the NLC is demanding an immediate suspension of the proposed hike and has called on the Federal Government, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the National Assembly to engage stakeholders in a meaningful dialogue that considers the economic hardship Nigerians are facing.
Meanwhile, the NLC has vowed to take decisive action against any state government or employer that fails to fully implement the N70,000 minimum wage.
Speaking at a National Leadership Retreat in Abuja, Mohammed Ibrahim, President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and NLC’s National Internal Auditor, decried the slow pace of compliance.
According to him, some state governments have resorted to making “kangaroo agreements” without genuinely implementing the wage increase.
“The national minimum wage has been signed into law, yet many states and institutions are treating it as a mere announcement rather than a binding obligation,” Ibrahim said.
“It was only after the NLC threatened strike actions that some governors rushed to sign agreements—many of which remain unimplemented.”
The Congress has made it clear that if telecom tariff increases and wage implementation delays persist, it will escalate its actions, including a possible nationwide boycott of telecommunications services and mass industrial action to resist policies that worsen economic hardship.
