Nigerian Communications Fee Secretly Employs 17 Employees Together with 11 Northerners Amid Huge Income Loss, Deteriorating Telecom High quality

The supply stated that of the 17 newly secretly employed workers, 11 are from northern Nigeria, whereas solely two are from the South-East and 4 are from South-West.

The Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) has secretly employed 17 new workers members together with 11 northerners, SaharaReporters has learnt from inside sources.

High workers of the fee informed SaharaReporters on Wednesday that the employment was carried out with out transparency, elevating issues of regional favoritism and poor management within the fee.

In line with data obtained by SaharaReporters from the sources within the fee, the fee carried out the key recruitment regardless of a backdrop of declining income.and worsening service high quality within the telecoms trade.

The supply stated that of the 17 newly secretly employed workers, 11 are from northern Nigeria, whereas solely two are from the South-East and 4 are from South-West.

“With telecoms contribution to GDP dropping from 16.43 to 13.21, and with telecoms high quality deteriorating and big losses, the management at NCC is busy with using new workers secretly,” the supply stated.

The event appears to have stirred up unease throughout the fee, particularly because it follows a current promotion examination that has already been mired in controversy, with claims of irregularities and favoritism.

Already the current promotion examination is embroiled in large controversy. What’s going on on the NCC? Who’s in cost? Is somebody paying consideration?” the supply queried, expressing frustration over what’s perceived as rising dysfunction throughout the regulatory physique.

The telecom sector is dealing with considered one of its most turbulent intervals in recent times, with rising complaints from subscribers and shrinking investor confidence.

Efforts to get an official response from the NCC as of press time have been unsuccessful.

In February 2025, SaharaReporters had reported {that a} evaluate of MTN Nigeria Communications PLC’s newly launched monetary studies revealed that rising direct operation and interconnect prices, amongst different bills, contributed to a N400 billion loss.

This loss occurred regardless of a rise within the firm’s income from N2.468 trillion in 2023 to N3.358 trillion in 2024.

The monetary assertion covers the 2024 fiscal yr.

In line with the report, MTN posted a N400.4 billion monetary loss in 2024, up from the N137 billion loss recorded in 2023.

Direct community working prices noticed probably the most important improve, rising from N655.2 billion in 2023 to N1.232 trillion in 2024.

The rise in direct community working prices was largely attributable to bills associated to the numbering plan, which elevated from N502.7 billion in 2023 to N969.3 billion in 2024.

It’s value noting that MTN and different telecom suppliers had beforehand referred to as for a tariff hike, citing the rising price of doing enterprise in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) had accredited a tariff improve, pointing to prevailing market circumstances.

In January, NCC spokesperson Reuben Mouka had introduced that the adjustment was authorised underneath Part 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

Mouka had said that the approval permits a most 50 p.c improve on current tariffs, a compromise from the over 100% hike initially requested by some community operators.

The approval has sparked criticism, with the Nigeria Labour Congress threatening mass protests over the rise in knowledge tariffs.

It was revealed that Nigerians now spend as much as 10 p.c of the newly accredited N70,000 minimal wage on knowledge subscriptions because of the current tariff hike.

The Bola Tinubu administration authorised a 50 p.c improve in knowledge tariffs after telecom firms cited rising operational prices as the explanation for the value hike.