Niger, MTN in partnership to give civil servants unlimited calls for N550 monthly
Niger, MTN in partnership to give civil servants unlimited calls for N550 monthly
In its bid to cushion the impact of the recent increase in telecommunications tariff, the Niger government has launched launches Closed User Group (CUG) for public and civil servants.
According to the state Commissioner of Communications and Digital Economy, Suleiman Isah, those who are in the closed user group can call their families, colleagues, and superiors who are within the group for as low as N1 per minute.
As of recent updates, the average cost of a phone call in Nigeria is around N16.50 per minute due to a 50 percent tariff hike approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as against the previous average of N11 per minute.
The Commissioner, in a statement, said that the state Ministry of Communications Technology and Digital Economy is partnering with MTN Nigeria to make this available.
“This will allow CUG members to make calls within the group without credit deductions after paying a monthly service fee of just ₦550. This would be deducted from their phone credit, not their salary. Additionally, members can add their spouse(s) to the plan for better connectivity. “
Isah said that the initiative is open to state and local government civil servants, political appointees, and casual workers, stressing that it is not a forceful initiative, as participation is voluntary.
He stated that anyone who would want to be included in the plan would need to enroll through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Several of the civil servants have expressed their willingness to participate as they lamented over how the high call tariff is becoming a burden to them.
