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. The suit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenges the hike as “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable.”
The new tariff hike, approved by the NCC, is set to increase the cost of telecommunications services across Nigeria. The average price of calls will rise from N11 to N16.5 per minute, the cost of 1GB of data will increase from N287.5 to N431.25, and SMS prices will go up from N4 to N6.
SERAP is seeking a court ruling on whether the NCC’s decision to approve the hike violates citizens’ constitutional rights, particularly their freedom of expression and access to information. The organization argues that the decision was made without due process and does not align with the legal provisions governing consumer rights and international standards on freedom of expression.
The suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025, asks the court for a declaration that the tariff hike is unconstitutional and unlawful. SERAP is also requesting an interim injunction to prevent the NCC and any associated parties from implementing the hike until the matter is resolved.
Representing SERAP in the case, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa emphasized that the NCC’s decision should be based on fairness, reasonableness, and adherence to legal frameworks. According to SERAP, the commission’s actions should respect citizens’ rights and meet the necessary legal standards for such decisions.
The outcome of the suit will have significant implications for the telecom sector, as Nigerians face higher communication costs amid ongoing debates over the fairness of the price increases.
