How OAU Students Struggle with Rising Data Costs Amid NCC Tariff Hike

Emiola Oluwaseun

Following the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) increase in tariffs for calls, SMS, and data earlier this year, many Nigerians have expressed frustration over the added financial burden. Students at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, are feeling the impact deeply, as rising data costs threaten their academic work and daily lives.

 

Joy Abioye, a final-year student in the Faculty of Education, shared how the data hike has slowed her research progress. “I can’t access the internet anytime I need, which delays my work,” she said. To cope, Joy switched to a cheaper network, but this has increased her monthly expenses. “I now have to take money from my feeding and transportation allowances to pay for data,” she explained.

Joy believes more can be done by both network providers and the school management to ease the burden on students. She recalled her days in Akintola Hall of Residence last session, where they had access to free internet throughout the session, a service she is unsure is still operational.

According to the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission, there has been a decline of about one million internet users across the country since the tariff increase.

Grace Alonge, a final-year student in department of Science and Technology Education, said the tariff hike forced her to cut back on social media. “I now prioritize WhatsApp because my data subscription jumped from ₦1,000 to ₦4,500 per month just for basic internet use,” she said. When asked about managing research work, she added, “I find my way around it. Sometimes, I have to use part of my feeding money to buy enough data.”

Daradarani, a Chemical Engineering student, reported a sharp increase in his monthly data spending. “I Now, I spend over ₦6,500 on a monthly data plan, unlike before when I could get a weekly data plan for as low as ₦300, which was approximately ₦1,200 to ₦1,500 per month. This increase has affected my savings plan and feeding as well,” he said.

The NCC’s tariff increase has placed a heavy financial strain on OAU students, forcing many to make difficult trade-offs between essential needs and academic requirements. As internet access becomes more expensive, students’ ability to keep up with research and studies is increasingly challenged.