President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for the removal of the contentious 5% excise duty previously imposed on mobile voice and data services within the nation’s telecommunications sector.
This development was revealed by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
He confirmed that the excise levy, which was initially suspended in 2023, has now been officially removed under revised national tax laws.
The total removal of the tax is aimed at easing financial pressures on consumers and businesses in Nigeria’s digital economy.
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“The 5% excise duty is no longer in effect.
“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,” Maida said during the press briefing.
President Tinubu first suspended the tax in July 2023 as part of a broader fiscal policy overhaul aimed at mitigating the impact of multiple tax burdens on businesses and households. The suspension came through a series of executive orders signed shortly after he assumed office.
However, the issue resurfaced in October 2024, when the National Assembly proposed reinstating the tax as part of broader revenue-generating measures, which also included levies on gaming, betting, and lottery services.
The proposal was met with strong resistance from the telecom sector.
The matter has now been laid completely to rest based on the revelation by the NCC boss during his press briefing.
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