President Bola Tinubu has eliminated the five percent excise tax on telecommunications services, according to Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, Maida stated that the new tax law had eliminated the fee, which had been temporarily suspended.
He reiterated, “The excise duty, it is the 5 percent or so that is no longer there,” he said.
“Before it was suspended, but now the president has been magnanimous to remove it entirely. I was in a room when it was raised, and he said, no, we cannot put this on Nigerians. I was very pleased when the bills came out and we saw his words were followed through”.
To lessen the adverse effects of tax changes on consumers and businesses, Tinubu issued four executive orders on July 6, 2023, one of which was to suspend the 5 percent excise tax on telecommunications services.
On October 20, 2024, however, the national assembly suggested reintroducing the excise tax on lottery, gaming, betting, and telecommunications services.
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) rejected the plan, arguing that it would be unjust for the government to levy an excise fee at a time when it is trying to maintain operations.
