President Bola Tinubu has permanently abolished the controversial 5% excise duty on telecommunications services, a move aimed at easing financial pressures on consumers and businesses in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The announcement was made by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Maida confirmed that the excise levy—initially suspended in 2023—has now been officially removed under revised national tax laws.
“The 5% excise duty is no longer in effect,” Maida stated. “Initially, it was only suspended, but the President has now completely removed it. 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 proposal was 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.
