Tinubu scraps 5% telecoms tax

President Bola Tinubu has abolished the planned 5% excise duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

Maida stated that the excise levy, which was suspended in 2023, has now been officially removed under revised national tax laws.

The NCC boss said: “The 5% excise duty is no longer in effect.

“Initially, it was only suspended, but President Tinubu has now completely removed it.

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“I was present when the issue was raised, and he firmly said, ‘No, we cannot place this burden on Nigerians.’ I was very pleased to see that this directive was upheld in the new legislation.”

The duty, which applied to mobile voice and data services, elicited condemnations from industry stakeholders and consumers, who argued that it would worsen the already high cost of living and stifle access to communication services.

However, the issue resurfaced in October 2024, when the National Assembly proposed reinstating the tax as part of broader revenue-generating measures, which also included levies on gaming, betting, and lottery services.

The proposal was also met with strong resistance from the telecom sector.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) argued that reinstating the excise duty would undermine service affordability and hinder sectoral growth, particularly at a time when reliable internet access is increasingly vital to Nigeria’s economy.

The Star