Nigerians Are Likely to Start Paying More For Calls & Data Services

You may likely be paying more for data and calls if Section 24 of cybercrime 2015 Act is implemented.

Data plans and call tariff are already on the high side, and the fear is Telecom Company in Nigeria will have no choice than to increase the price of data and calls.

cybercrime 2015
This is attributable to the recent move by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to implement section 44 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) 2015 Act (PDF) which spells out the model of financing the National Cyber Security Fund.

Section 44 of the act highlights the establishment of the National Cyber Security Fund which is to be funded by 0.005% levy charged on all electronic transactions and to be domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

ATCON had earlier rejected the 0.05% cyber security levy that the collection of the levy would inevitably lead to a sharp increase in ‘charges paid by customers’ for telecoms services.

He said tariff on voice calls and data cost would certainly go up because the impact of the levy would be passed on to the end user of telecoms services.

If the Cybercrime Prohibition and Prevention Act 2015 are eventually implemented, then you’ll likely be getting 250MB for N1000 to last you for 30 days. While calls may be charged at 1naira/sec, 10MB data plan may now go for N100 to last you for a day.

This is not going to be funny at all on we the subscribers, while the takers of this levy will keep smiling to the bank.