MTN Nigeria has raised the price of calls on its Pulse bundle from N7.8 per minute to N13.8 per minute, marking a 76.92 percent increase. This adjustment comes in response to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s approval of a 50 percent tariff hike across the telecom industry.
The company has also increased its SMS rate from N4 to N6 and is in the process of revising its data bundle prices. In a message to Pulse customers on Monday, MTN confirmed the new charges, assuring users that they would continue to enjoy calls at 23 kobo per second and SMS at N6 per message.
According to sources within the company, price updates are ongoing, with further adjustments expected over the weekend and into next week. Since the beginning of the week, MTN has implemented new pricing structures across its data plans. The previous N1,000 plan offering 1.5GB per month has now been replaced by a 1.8GB plan priced at N1,500. The 20GB plan has increased from N5,500 to N7,500, while the 15GB plan now costs N6,500, up from N4,500. Long-term data plans have also seen significant price hikes, with the 90-day 1.5TB plan rising from N150,000 to N240,000, and the 600GB plan increasing from N75,000 to N120,000. Similarly, the two-to-three-month data plans have been adjusted, with the 100GB plan at N20,000 now offering 90GB for N25,000, and the 160GB plan at N30,000 now reduced to 150GB for N40,000.
While MTN has taken the lead in implementing these price changes, other telecom operators are expected to follow suit after the NCC’s approval of the industry-wide 50 percent tariff increase on January 20—the first such hike in a decade.
This price adjustment is aimed at helping telecom providers sustain investment in infrastructure and innovation. However, economic analysts warn that the increased costs may place additional financial pressure on consumers. Bismarck Rewane, chief executive officer of Financial Derivatives Company, acknowledged that while the tariff hike could benefit telecom operators, it may also lead to reduced usage as customers adjust to the higher costs.
