The cost of data has been a hotly debated topic in Nigeria over the past year. The A4AI-Nigeria Coalition has been hard at work to ensure that affordable internet access becomes a reality for all Nigerians — from campaigning against the Nigerian Government’s proposed 9% Communication Services Tax (#NoToCommServiceTax), to closely following the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC’s) recent debate around whether to introduce a price floor for data services.

This week, the A4AI-Nigeria Coalition sent an open letter to the NCC, commending it for the consultative position it has taken to date on the cost of data and for its planned evidence-based approach to policy and regulation in the sector. As the NCC works to complete a study on the “Determination of Cost-Based Pricing for Retail Broadband and Data Services in Nigeria”, the Nigeria Coalition’s open letter requests that the NCC endeavor to:

• Ensure broad stakeholder consultation during and following the study, and before taking any decision that will impact operator and consumer pricing;
• Focus on pricing transparency to clarify to consumers how prices are determined by service providers, and develop a stronger enforcement mechanism for pricing transparency; and
• Maintain an open and competitive market.

Ensuring affordable internet access for all Nigerians is consistent with both national strategic goals, as well as global development goals, and the A4AI-Nigeria Coalition remains open to working with the NCC to develop the policy and regulatory framework needed to make universal access a reality.

Want to learn more and get involved? Read the Coalition’s full letter to the NCC, stay up to date on the latest from the Coalition and join the next Nigeria Coalition meeting, slated for early 2017!