The Federal Government has revoked the 5% excise duty previously imposed on telecommunications services, including voice calls and data subscriptions.
Gatekeepers News reports that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) announced the policy reversal on Thursday via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, citing a directive from President Bola Tinubu.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, the President ordered the removal of the levy during deliberations on the recently passed Finance Act.
Maida said the decision was designed to ease financial pressure on millions of Nigerians.
“The development is expected to bring relief to over 171 million active telecom users across the country, many of whom have faced a 50% tariff increase implemented earlier this year,” he explained.
The President’s intervention, he added, also reflects government’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy without adding to citizens’ cost burdens.
The excise duty, introduced in 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, faced heavy backlash from telecom operators and consumer rights advocates. Critics warned that it would further erode disposable incomes in the face of rising living costs.
At the time, the Ministry of Finance defended the levy as part of efforts to shore up government revenues, arguing that similar taxes were applied globally. However, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) cautioned that the policy was counterproductive, pointing out that Nigeria already carried one of the heaviest tax burdens on the telecom sector in sub-Saharan Africa.
