Nigerian students in Enugu have expressed strong opposition to the recent 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs, calling for an immediate reversal due to the prevailing socioeconomic challenges.
In separate interviews on Wednesday by News Agency of Nigeria, students highlighted the financial strain caused by the tariff hike, urging the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom operators to reconsider their decision.
Divine Eze, a student of Environmental Management at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, appealed to telecom regulators to consider the financial burden on students and their families.
He noted that many students already struggle to afford textbooks and educational materials, which have become more expensive in recent years.
Similarly, Chiamaka Dike, a Banking and Finance student at the Institute of Management and Technology, lamented the rising cost of data services.
She explained how difficult it has become to manage her monthly allowance of N2,000 for GSM services, adding that other students face similar hardships and use data only when absolutely necessary.
Chidiebere Chimdobe, a student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, criticized the NCC and telecom operators for failing to consult stakeholders before implementing the hike.
He noted that telecommunication services have enabled millions of soft jobs for students and fresh graduates over the past decade.
According to Chimdobe, the tariff increase reflects a lack of sensitivity to the struggles of Nigerian youths, most of whom are already grappling with economic hardships.
He warned that the hike would exacerbate existing challenges and potentially lead to a rise in social vices.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a pan-African student advocacy group, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the NCC and telecom companies to reverse the hike.
In a statement, PSM President Bestman Okereafor described the tariff increase as “unjustifiable, untimely, and insensitive,” calling for its immediate cancellation.
He warned that failure to act within the stipulated time frame would result in nationwide protests by students’ organizations against what he described as an “anti-masses” decision.