A cross-section of students in Enugu State has appealed to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecommunication companies to reverse the recent 50% increase in telecom tariffs, citing the prevailing socioeconomic hardships affecting Nigerian youths, particularly students.
The students expressed their concerns during separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), highlighting the indispensable role of telecommunication services, such as internet data, in facilitating learning and research activities.
Mr. Divine Eze, a student of Environmental Management at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), described the tariff hike as an added burden on students already struggling with the high cost of textbooks and educational materials.
“Telecommunication services have become a lifeline for students. They help us save time, reduce travel costs, and simplify research and social interactions. Increasing the tariff will make things harder for students and their families,” he lamented.
Mrs. Chiamaka Dike, a Banking and Finance student at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), noted that the hike would worsen financial constraints faced by students. “My parents give me N2,000 monthly for GSM services, which I stretch carefully. Many students I know only use data when absolutely necessary,” she said, urging the NCC and telecom companies to prioritize education and learning.
Similarly, Mr. Chidiebere Chimdobe, a student of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), criticized the NCC and telecom companies for failing to consult stakeholders before implementing the tariff increase. “Telecommunication services have supported millions of e-jobs that students and fresh graduates depend on. This hike will worsen hardship and potentially fuel social vices,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a pan-African student body, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the NCC and telecom companies to reverse the tariff hike.
In a statement released in Enugu, the PSM President, Mr. Bestman Okereafor, described the increase as “unjustifiable, untimely, and insensitive,” emphasizing that it undermines the economic realities faced by Nigerians. “The NCC’s approval of this tariff hike at the expense of Nigerians is unacceptable. If this increment is not reversed, students across the country will stage protests,” he warned.
According to Okereafor, the NCC justified the tariff increase as a response to rising operational costs, but students argue that it places an unfair burden on the already struggling population.
As the ultimatum deadline approaches, Nigerian students are calling for urgent intervention to prevent further economic strain on the country’s youth.
