Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says President Bola Tinubu has removed the 5 percent excise duty on telecommunications services.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Maida announced that the levy, which had been temporarily suspended, has been repealed under the new tax law.

“The excise duty, it was 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.”

Tinubu signed four executive orders on July 6, 2023, including suspending the 5% excise tax on telecommunications services to mitigate the detrimental impact of tax adjustments on businesses and households.

However, on October 20, 2024, the national assembly suggested reintroducing the excise charge on telecommunications services, gaming, betting, and lottery operations.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) rejected the plan, claiming that imposing an excise levy on a company that is struggling to stay in business would be unfair.