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LAGOS, Nigeria – Airtel Nigeria has announced a 50% increase in the prices of its call and data plans, following in the footsteps of MTN Nigeria, which implemented a similar hike last week. The increase comes after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a nationwide tariff adjustment for telecom operators.
New Pricing Structure
Under the revised structure, Airtel has reconfigured several of its data plans. The most significant adjustment is the replacement of its lowest-priced monthly plan—previously 1.2GB for N1,000with a 2GB plan now priced at N1,500.
Other revised data plans include:
- 3GB for N2,000 (formerly 1.5GB at N1,200)
- 4GB for N2,500 (formerly 3GB at N1,500)
- 8GB for N3,000 (formerly 4.5GB at N2,000)
- 10GB for N4,000 (formerly 6GB at N2,500)
- 13GB for N5,000 (formerly 10GB at N3,000)
- 18GB for N6,000 (formerly 15GB at N4,000)
- 25GB for N8,000 (formerly 18GB at N5,000)
Despite the adjustments, some tariff plans remain unchanged, such as the 5GB weekly plan for N1,500.
Increase in Call Rates
Alongside the data tariff changes, Airtel has raised its call rates to 25 kobo per second, up from the previous 18 kobo per second.
Justification for the Price Hike
Telecom operators have defended the price increases, citing rising operational costs, the need for continued infrastructure investment, and innovation to improve service delivery. According to Airtel, the tariff hike will result in better network quality, enhanced customer support, and broader nationwide coverage.
With this development, subscribers are now evaluating their options, with many considering how the increase will impact their data usage and communication expenses. The industry will closely monitor consumer response and whether additional operators will follow suit with similar adjustments.
