The National Orientation Agency (NOA) disclosed the development on Thursday in a post via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, confirming that the decision followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive during deliberations on the recently passed Finance Act.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, the President’s order was designed to ease cost pressures on millions of mobile subscribers while safeguarding Nigeria’s digital economy.
“This intervention is expected to bring relief to over 171 million active telecom users across the country, many of whom have already faced a 50% tariff increase earlier this year,” Maida explained.
KogiTribune Online recalls that the controversial tax was introduced in 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as part of government efforts to boost revenue amid declining oil earnings. The Ministry of Finance at the time argued that the measure aligned with global best practices in taxation.
However, the policy was met with widespread criticism from telecom operators and consumer rights groups, who warned it would worsen the financial burden on Nigerians grappling with rising living costs. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) described the levy as counterproductive, noting that Nigeria’s telecommunications sector already carried one of the heaviest tax burdens in sub-Saharan Africa.
With the removal of the 5% excise duty, stakeholders and consumers alike expect some measure of relief in service costs, even as debates on sustainable revenue generation for the federal government continue.
