Tinubu Scraps 5% Telecoms Tax— NCC
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that President Bola Tinubu has officially abolished the controversial 5% excise duty on telecommunications services, in a move aimed at reducing financial burdens on consumers and supporting growth in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, during a media briefing in Abuja.
Maida revealed that the levy, which was initially suspended in 2023, has now been completely removed under the newly revised national tax laws.
“The 5% excise duty is no longer in effect,” Maida confirmed. “It was initially suspended, but the President has now permanently removed it. I was present when the issue was raised, and he said, ‘No, we cannot place this burden on Nigerians.’ I was pleased to see that directive upheld in the new legislation.”
The excise duty, which applied to mobile voice and data services, had drawn widespread criticism from industry stakeholders and consumer rights groups, who warned that it would drive up the cost of digital access and strain telecom operators already dealing with high operational expenses.
President Tinubu first suspended the tax in July 2023 through a series of executive orders, as part of a broader effort to reform Nigeria’s fiscal policy and ease multiple tax burdens on businesses and households.
The issue resurfaced in October 2024 when the National Assembly proposed reinstating the tax as part of new revenue-generating measures — including levies on gaming, betting, and lottery services.
The telecom industry pushed back strongly. The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) argued that reintroducing the duty would harm affordability and stifle growth in a sector critical to Nigeria’s economic development.
