The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, stated in a recent collaborative announcement that they are the sole service providers who have refrained from implementing price adjustments in the past 11 years, notwithstanding the escalating inflation rates.
The aforementioned associations highlighted that the prevailing pricing structure in the telecommunications sector does not correspond with the economic circumstances, posing a threat to the industry’s long-term viability and potentially undermining investors’ trust.
The operators emphasized the necessity for the Nigerian Communications Commission to authorize price increments within the sector.
“ALTON and ATCON respectfully reiterate that telecommunications infrastructure development requires substantial investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades.
“Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last (11) years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.
“For a fully liberalized and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.
“ATCON and ALTON call upon the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability”, the statement by ALTON Chairman Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, and the President of ATCON, Engr Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, said.
