Nigeria’s telecommunications giants, including Glo, MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile, are urging the federal government to engage in constructive dialogue within the industry. They argue that the current price control measures are out of sync with economic realities and are seeking intervention to address pricing challenges.
In a joint statement by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the companies expressed concern that they are the only ones that have not adjusted their prices, which could jeopardize the industry’s sustainability and erode investor confidence.
ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, and ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, highlighted that there has been no upward review in the general service pricing framework for the past 11 years due to regulatory constraints, despite economic hardships.
The statement emphasised the need for a pricing framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability and called on the government to facilitate dialogue to address these challenges.
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They said: “For a fully liberalised and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.
Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last 11 years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.
Government needs to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.”
Additionally, the telcos raised concerns about the worsening security challenges affecting their services’ productivity. They urged the government to take measures to tackle vandalism and sabotage of telecom infrastructure, which disrupts services and leads to financial losses.
Recognizing the telecom sector’s crucial role in national security and socioeconomic growth, especially in the face of multiple security threats, the telcos called for collaboration with law enforcement agencies to enhance protection measures.
They also emphasized the need for significant investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades to meet growing demand and improve service quality.