The Federal Government has scrapped the 5% excise duty tax previously imposed on telecommunications services, including voice calls and data usage.

The National Orientation Agency made this known in a post via its official X (formerly Twitter) page on Thursday.

The post said the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu ordered the removal of the tax during discussions on the recently passed Finance Act.

The NCC boss noted that the move is expected to ease cost pressures for millions of mobile users in the country.

Maida added that the President’s intervention was aimed at preventing additional financial strain on citizens while supporting the digital economy.

“The development is expected to bring relief to over 171 million active telecom users across the country, many of whom have faced a 50% tariff increase implemented earlier this year,” he added.

The 5% excise duty, which was first announced in 2022, had faced widespread criticism from both telecom operators and consumer rights groups, who warned it would worsen the financial burden on Nigerians amid rising living costs.