The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered telecommunications operators to simplify their tariff plans, bundles, and promotional activities.
Nigerians have continued to lament lack of transparency in data and call tariff plans of telecommunication companies in the country. Many have complained that data subscriptions no longer last a month despite cautious data usage, with the same extends to call rates as well.
In a statement on Monday, Reuben Muoka, NCC spokesman, said the regulator has mandated all telcos to release clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information about the cost of voice, short messaging service (SMS) and data services to all subscribers.
“The guideline is the outcome of consultations with industry stakeholders, including MNOs and Consumer Focus Groups, and extensive data analysis on consumer preferences and expectations,” he said.
Muoka said the regulator communicated the directive to telcos like MTN, Airtel, and others on July 29, 2024.
It mandated Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to publish a comprehensive table showing the features of their tariff plans and bundle offers.
“The table should contain all necessary information for subscribers to make informed decisions, including details on add-ons, their prices, how consumers can opt-in or out, terms and conditions for renewal, and rollover policies,” Muoka said.
“The objectives of the simplification guidelines are to reduce the complexity of tariff plans and bundles, ensure transparency and fairness of promotional elements of tariff plans, protect consumers’ interests by providing clear and understandable tariff information so that they make informed decisions, and promote fair competition among licensees by standardising tariff structures.
“Service providers are also required to display all relevant information about their tariffs, such as the name of the plan, price, validity period, price-per-second for on or off-network and international calls, expected data speeds, and fair usage policies.
“Operators can maintain existing bonus-led tariff plans till 31st December 2024, within which period operators are expected to educate and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans,” the directive stated.
As of December 2023, Nigeria has over 224 million subscribers, according to official data by the regulator. MTN boasts of over 87 million subscribers, representing 38.79% of the total market share, the highest in the country by any licensed Mobile Network Operator (MNO). Globacom and Airtel have 61 million subscribers each while 9mobile has 13.9 million users.
