Nigeria Senate has called on Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to engage with telecommunications providers and review the recent increase in cost of data.
The development is coming, following a motion raised on Wednesday, during a plenary session in the red chamber on the urgent need to address Increased cost of data services in Nigeria’, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong.
Recall that on February 11, 2025, telecom giants like MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile hiked the costs of data and airtime plans following the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commission, citing rising operational costs.
READ MORE: NCC Approves 50% Tariff Hike For Telecoms
While calling for fair pricing, Ekpenyong lamented that over 200 per cent hike in costs had placed financial burden on millions of Nigerians, especially youths who rely on the internet for their livelihood.
Senate urged the ministry to develop a policy framework for affordable internet services in the country.
It also encouraged federal government to establish and support tech hubs nationwide, providing free or subsidized internet access to young entrepreneurs, students, and innovators.
The upper chamber mandated its Committee on Communications to investigate factors driving the high cost of data and propose solutions for a sustainable and business-friendly telecommunications sector.
Senator Ekpenyong said: “The sudden and substantial increase in data costs threatens their economic survival and limits access to critical digital services.”
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized that implementing the motion would help young entrepreneurs stay in business by ensuring access to affordable data, which in turn would boost revenue and profits for them.
The post Senate Tasks FG To Review Cost Of Data Services appeared first on Information Nigeria.
