SERAP Seeks Court Intervention Against 50% Telecom Tariff Hike

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the recent approval of a 50% increase in telecom tariffs, describing the hike as arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unfair.

The tariff hike has raised the cost of calls to ₦16.5 per minute from ₦11, the price of 1GB of data to ₦431.25 from ₦287.5, and SMS charges to ₦6 from ₦4.

In the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025), filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday, SERAP is seeking:

1. A declaration that the NCC’s decision to approve the tariff hike is inconsistent with citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
2. An interim injunction restraining the NCC and its agents from further implementing or enforcing the tariff hike.

SERAP argues that the NCC’s decision violates legal and constitutional provisions, as well as international standards, which mandate fairness and reasonableness in regulatory decisions affecting citizens’ rights.

Key Arguments in the Suit:

• SERAP contends that the NCC’s decision to authorize the tariff hike lacks fairness, due process, and reasonable justification.
• It claims the hike imposes unjust financial burdens on Nigerians and restricts their access to essential communication services, thereby undermining their freedom of expression.
• The lawsuit emphasizes that the NCC is legally obligated to prioritize consumer protection, adhere to constitutional safeguards, and follow due process in exercising its regulatory powers.

Filed on behalf of SERAP by human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), the suit reads in part:
“The requirements of legality constrain the NCC’s statutory powers to authorize any increase in telecom tariffs.

The decision to hike tariffs by 50% must be guided by fairness, transparency, and alignment with constitutional and international standards on consumers’ rights and freedom of expression.”

SERAP has urged the court to halt the tariff hike and ensure that the NCC complies with its legal obligations to protect consumers and uphold fundamental rights.

The case is pending a hearing date.