Subsidy Removal: We Are Not Ready For Tariff Increase – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has said that it is not ready to increase tariffs due to subsidy removal, stating that such a decision is left for the entire industry to determine and also takes a longer time to decide.

NCC disclosed this recently when the Executive Vice-Chairman, EVC of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, and the Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Rueben Mouka received Titans of Tech, ToT, awards in Lagos.

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Danbatta who was represented at the event by the Lagos Zonal Controller of NCC, Mr Yomi Arowosafe clinched Pan African Telecoms Operator of the Year, and Mouka got Digital Public Relations Communicator of the Year.

Asked whether the Commission has plans to increase the tariff due to subsidy removal, Arowosafe said NCC does not just increase tariffs without due consultations.

He said: “In NCC, we don’t just increase rates, we do a lot of industry consultation and that is left for the industry to determine.

“We run a participative system of engagement in NCC. We can’t even talk about an increase now; it has to be a lot of engagements which takes time.”

Also speaking on the awards, he said; “For me, I’m elated that this has happened and this has shown that the industry is really doing well under the leadership of EVC. We thank the Titans of Tech award for counting the EVC and NCC worthy of this award.’

Meanwhile, earlier in his welcome address, former deputy governor of Lagos, Mr Femi Pedro, who commended the organisers of the awards for promoting and encouraging innovators in the country called for the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM from primary to tertiary institutions.

Pedro said: “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM, is what we need to be promoting in Nigeria, particularly in our schools, we cannot be a technologically advanced nation unless we adopt STEM right from the primary, and secondary schools and university.

“Our university education must have focused on STEM. We cannot compete in today’s world if we don’t adopt technology, it is in fact, a panacea for economic development and that is why I commend the organizers of this event.

“We must begin to encourage our entrepreneurs and young people to be innovative and creative. I believe that the fastest way to create wealth today is by the use of technology, many young people who have left school and are complaining that there are no jobs, need to sit down and use their creative power to come up with ideas that can be used to create wealth.

”On the part of the government, technology is not a government thing, it is a private sector enterprise, anybody can acquire it.

“Foreign investors are willing to bring capital to Nigeria because we have a huge population, mostly of young people who are ready and willing to use tech to drive wealth.