The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the recent 50% hike in telecom tariffs, describing it as arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unfair.
The NCC, which is also a defendant in the suit, recently approved the increase, causing the average price of calls to rise from N11 to N16.5 per minute, the cost of 1GB of data from N287.5 to N431.25, and SMS prices from N4 to N6.
In the suit, filed as FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday, SERAP is seeking a judicial declaration that the NCC’s decision violates citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information as enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution and international law.
READ ALSO: Estimated Billing Is Criminal – Hon. Uko Nkole Exposes EEDC (Video)
The organisation also requested an interim injunction to halt the implementation of the tariff hike pending the court’s decision.
SERAP’s legal team, led by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, argued that the NCC failed to adhere to fairness, reasonableness, and due process in approving the tariff hike. The suit contends that the decision undermines consumer rights and fails to consider the legal frameworks governing the NCC’s actions.
“The NCC is required under legal provisions and international standards to ensure fairness and reasonableness in its decisions. This tariff hike does not meet those standards and is inconsistent with the principles of legality,” part of the suit reads.
SERAP is urging the court to restore affordability in telecom services and ensure that the government and NCC comply with constitutional and legal standards when making decisions that impact citizens’ access to essential services.
