General News
MTN Increases Data Prices Amid NCC’s 50% Tariff Hike Approval
MTN, Nigeria’s largest telecommunications operator on Tuesday commenced implementation of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s approved tariff hike by increasing its data prices.
A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) using the *312# code on the MTN network showed the revised MTN data prices.
For the monthly plans, MTN 1.8GB now goes for N1,500, replacing the previous 1.5GB plan priced at N1,000; the 15GB plan now costs N6,500, a rise from N4,500.
The 20GB monthly plan has been adjusted to N7,500, up from N5,500, among others.
Text messaging on the network has also increased to N6.00 reflecting the 50 per cent hike, while hike in voice calls rates are yet to be ascertained.
Other mobile operators comprising Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile are yet to update their data prices as at the time of filing this report.
Some subscribers, who spoke with NAN, said they were surprised by MTN’s haste in implementing the tariff increase.
An Educationist and MTN Subscriber, Mrs Halima Balogun, lamented MTN’s haste in adjusting its tariff.
Balogun said that other networks were yet to implement the hike.
“We, the subscribers, are yet to come to terms with the announcement of proposed hike, only for the increase to be implemented.
“I was about purchasing my 1.5GB at N1000, only to discover that it has been increased to N1,500, this left me stranded because I had planned on spending only N1000.
“It would have been ideal if we were given a week’s notification before the new prices were made public to enable one to be prepared,” she said.
A 200-level Student of University of Lagos, Mr Edoziem Olunwa, described the increased MTN tariff as frustrating.
Olunwa said that the increase was coming at a time when things were becoming increasingly difficult, even as students.
“As a Computer Science student, I was struggling to help myself with the 20GB which was N5,500 but the additional N2000 is like a burden.
“Over the weekend, there was outage on the network, which was addressed but could still be better. These are the things we want the network to address,” he said.
Another Subscriber, Mr Abdulwahab Fatoki, expressed optimism that the increase would herald effective and efficient service.
Fatoki said that from the day the announcement of the proposed tariff hike was made, it was obvious that there was no going back so the best bet was to be prepared.
All the subscribers, however, expressed optimism that with the increment there would also be increased quality of service.
All efforts to speak with MTN officials before filing the report failed.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry’s regulatory body had approved a maximal increment of 50 per cent tariff adjustments to operators.
The Commission said its approval, though less than the 100 per cent hike demanded by operators, was in response to prevailing operational costs.
It said that its decision was pursuant to its power under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 (NCA) to regulate and approve tariff rates and charges by telecommunications operators.
The NCC said that, while recognising the concerns of the public, the decision was made after extensive consultations with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
“The NCC recognises the financial pressures faced by Nigerian households and businesses and remains deeply empathetic to the impact of tariff adjustments,’ the NCC said in a statement.
It noted that these adjustments would support the ability of operators to continue investing in infrastructure and innovation, ultimately benefiting consumers through improved services and connectivity.
The NCC added that consumers would benefit from better network quality, enhanced customer service, and greater coverage within the country.
(NAN)
Nigeria’s Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) market is on a fast-growing trajectory and is predicted to be valued $2.61 billion by 2030, up 83% from $1.42 billion in 2024, owing primarily to the rapid emergence of fintechs in the country.
This observation was stated in EnterpriseNGR’s State of Enterprise 2025 report, which focuses on how fintechs are reshaping Nigeria’s business landscape through digital innovations, accessible credit systems, and mobile-first financial tools.
As a credit system, BNPL allows users to stagger payments for products and services, making it a key development driver in Nigeria’s developing digital economy.
From 2021 to 2024, the BNPL experienced a compounded annual growth rate of 23.1%. Fintechs have contributed to the rapid growth by providing a range of flexible loan alternatives for e-commerce, retail, and services, bridging financial gaps for millions of disadvantaged Nigerians.
The report highlights how fintechs have contributed to Nigeria’s flexibility and resiliency by simplifying digital payments, automating invoicing and payroll systems, and democratising credit through platforms such as Renmoney and FairMoney.
The report also shows a significant rise in remittance inflows into Nigeria following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2024 policy adjustments.
According to the report, by 2024, Nigeria boasted over 400 licensed digital lenders who extend collateral-free credit to those commonly excluded by banks.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) strengthened bilateral relations with the Netherlands’ government through an agreement targeted at improving migration governance and border security.
This partnership was confirmed during a meeting at the NIS headquarters in Abuja, which was attended by a Dutch team led by Jurgen Bartelink, Chargé D’Affaires of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria.
The meeting focused on increasing bilateral migration cooperation and came after the comptroller general of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, paid a working visit to the Netherlands.
Under the agreement, the Dutch government pledged to continue supporting technology-driven solutions targeted at boosting Nigeria’s border control systems and improving migration management.
During the Netherlands Embassy diplomats handed over essential operational tools, such as Edison Software licence keys and the Passport Examination Programme Manual App.
According to NIS spokeswoman ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, “The partnership focuses on enhancing bilateral collaboration on migration management and reviewing ongoing capacity-building efforts.”
Bartelink, Chargé d’Affaires of the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria, underlined the Netherlands’ commitment to helping Nigeria’s continuing border security and migration reforms.
Also speaking, Rob Bokhoven, head of international affairs, repatriation, and deportation services at the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, emphasised the country’s strong bilateral relations and announced plans to share a mobile border software solution with the NIS.
Receiving the equipment, Nandap said the delivery of the gadgets would boost West African country’s border security, significantly improve the service’s document verification border management capabilities and support the implementation of Nigeria’s National Migration Policy.
“The engagement will further reinforce the strategic partnership between Nigeria and the Netherlands advancing shared goals in migration governance, border security and international cooperation,” she added.
Peter Enogb, principal country economist, African Development Bank (AfDB), says the rise in global uncertainty, emanating from increases in global trade tariffs, has slowed Nigeria’s projected growth to 3.2% in 2025.
“Without this level of heightened uncertainty, our projections would probably have been somewhat higher. We’ve reduced our projections for Nigeria. We initially were projecting 3.5% – 3.6% growth in 2025.
“But given the current situation, our models are showing that we’re taking a more cautious approach. So that’s why we produced this and, of course, the main driver is uncertainty in the global economy,” Enogb said.
He said this at the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Country Focus Report (CFR) on Thursday.
AFDB projected that real GDP growth would hit 3.1% in 2026. Following the 2024 consumer price index (CPI) rebasing, with lower weights for food items, the inflation rate is expected to reduce over the medium term to 24.7% in 2025 and 17.3% in 2026.
As imports start to rise over the medium term, the current account is projected to decline to 3.9% of GDP in 2026.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation slowed for the second consecutive month to 22.97% in May. This is down from 24.48% at the start of the year
This is contrary to the World Bank projection that Nigeria’s economy would record steady growth of 3.6% despite the shift in the global trade dynamics.
Joseph Ogebe, head of research and development at Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), also said that global uncertainty had been very high in recent times, resulting from the Trump 2.0 effect.
“And also with the recent war between Israel and the international community, we’ve seen what’s happening to oil prices. Even with the call-off of the war, we’ve seen the effect on oil prices too, which has implications on the fiscal side. So it has implications for the general economy,” he said.
The head of research at NESG said that rather than focusing on just growth, what should be looked at is a strategy called growth with depth.
“Growth with depth means that your growth must be diversified, export-led, productive, and technologically driven,” he said.
Ogebe said that if the Government works towards adopting a strategy of growth with depth, there is a tendency for the government to move towards its goal of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
The report revealed that the country’s recent policy moves, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and tax reforms, reflect a commitment to long-term transformation.
However, it also pointed out that at about 13%, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio is among the lowest in West Africa, noting that fiscal reforms are urgent.
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