Subscribers Lament as Airtel Increases Data and Call Price by 50 per cent

Subscribers have expressed outrage following Airtel Nigeria’s decision to increase its data and call tariffs, raising the cost of various data bundles and increasing call tariffs from 18 to 25 kobo per second.

The price adjustments, which took effect over the weekend, come after growing concerns within the telecom industry over rising operational costs, inflation, and foreign exchange fluctuations. The new data pricing structure affects daily, weekly, and monthly plans. Some notable changes include: Daily Plans: N50 for 40MB, N100 for 100MB, N200 for 200MB, and N350 for 1GB (all valid for 1 day except for the 200MB plan, which lasts 3 days).

For Monthly Plans: 3GB for N2,000 (previously 1.5GB for N1,200), 4GB for N2,500 (formerly 3GB at N1,500), 8GB for N3,000 (previously 4.5GB for N2,000), 10GB for N4,000 (formerly 6GB for N2,500), 13GB for N5,000 (up from 10GB at N3,000). Airtel left some plans unchanged, such as the 5GB weekly plan for N1,500.

The tariff hike has sparked outrage among Airtel customers, many of whom expressed frustration on social media.

@okikiola_Ayoade on X, criticised the changes, saying:
“Return our data bundles back! It’s not easy to make money, and you people are making life difficult. Data that was N3,000 for 20GB is now N3,000 for 10GB. Why are we suffering for what we are paying for?”

Another user, @Firstjessy, said he had only been using Airtel because of its previously affordable plans. “The only reason I stayed with Airtel was because their data offers were reasonable. Now, they’ve taken away those benefits. This is unfair!”

Airtel’s data price increase comes just days after MTN Nigeria increased its tariffs by about 50 per cent, triggering a public outcry. For instance, MTN’s 15GB weekly plan jumped from N2,000 to N6,000, marking a 200 per cent increase.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently approved tariff increases of up to 50 per cent for telecom operators, citing the need to maintain service quality amid rising operational costs. However, the decision has faced stiff opposition from consumer rights groups.

The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) had announced plans to sue the NCC, accusing it of imposing excessive increases without consulting consumers. NATCOMS President Deolu Ogunbanjo said the association had suggested a smaller 5-10 per cent increase instead of the steep hikes being implemented.

With inflation and economic hardship already hitting Nigerians hard, the latest tariff increases add to the financial burden of millions of mobile users.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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