The Nigeria Labour Congress has proposed a five per cent increase in telecom tariff hike rejecting the 50 per cent approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The NLC spokesman Benson Upah said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.

“They keep on emasculating us through stupid taxes. It will come to a point when people can pay but they won’t pay. This really is to halt this mindless tariff increase. And if by any chance there has to be an increase at all, 5%, given the fact of our situation that there have been increases across the board.

“But now to say 50%, it is not going to work. Where will the ordinary Nigerians be at the end of the day when we have energy tariff increases?” he said.

According to him, there is no going back on its nationwide protest scheduled for Tuesday, February 4, 2025, to drive home the displeasure of the group against the recently announced telecom tariff increase.

“The manufacturers are groaning, the middle-class people are groaning. The ordinary Nigerians on the streets can’t even afford to turn on the lights in their sitting rooms. When taxes are low, more people pay than when you have high taxes,” he added.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have consistently advocated the removal of energy subsidies and the floating of the naira, saying failure to effect the two economic policies has plunged Nigeria into severe inflationary pressures.