Nigerians struggle with phone costs… But a new plan by NCC is coming

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stated that measures are underway to introduce more affordable smartphones into the Nigerian market.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, disclosed this during a media parley with journalists in Abuja on Friday.

DAILY POST reports that mobile phone prices in Nigeria have surged to record levels in 2026 due to severe currency depreciation and inflation, making even entry-level devices costly. Budget smartphones now often exceed N100,000, while mid-range models such as the Infinix Hot 60 Pro and Tecno Spark 40 Pro range between N150,000 and over N250,000. Premium devices can go beyond N1,000,000.

Current market trends in Nigeria for 2026 indicate that the budget segment falls within N100,000 to N200,000, with devices like the Redmi 15C (N176,999) and Samsung Galaxy A07 (N168,869) dominating this category.

The mid-range segment, priced between N200,000 and N400,000, includes phones such as the Infinix Hot 60 Pro (N240,400) and Tecno Spark 40 Pro Plus (approximately N283,800), offering improved specifications.

High-end smartphones, priced from N500,000 and above, include models like the Tecno Phantom X5 Pro, which costs over N550,000, while newer Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series and Flip models exceed N1.6 million.

Used devices, often referred to as “UK Used,” such as the iPhone 11 Pro Max, remain popular at relatively lower prices, around N495,000.

Experts attribute the rising cost of mobile devices to factors such as foreign exchange rates, import duties, and inflation.

“We are looking at how cheaper smart phones can be introduced into into the market,” the EVC said.

“But despite this, if you look at the figures, increasingly we are seeing more users moving to 4G. Users are moving away from 3G, 2G devices.

“So this, on its own, is also showing that that move towards smartphone usage is happening, because I think now over about 52% of users are 4G users.”

Speaking earlier in his opening remarks, Maida noted that media coverage of the telecommunications sector has significantly supported the Commission’s work.

According to him, such reportage has helped the sector “to implement our policies, keep the general public up to date in terms of progress, and also, most importantly, for me, to hold us accountable.”

“Our philosophy is that of transparency. You’ve seen that through the tariff simplification directive we gave which we are currently, it’s not 100% compliance, because there’s a little bit of technical details behind getting the compliance.

“We also have the major outage Reporting Portal for which a lot of you have reported and highlighted, and, you know, drawn the attention of even senior government stakeholders to some of the issues which the industry is facing, particularly fiber cuts that sometimes, despite our efforts, we need your help in terms of bringing that awareness to the general public so we thank you for that.”

The EVC also referenced the Corporate Governance guidelines, noting that the Commission had set a 24-month compliance deadline, which is currently ongoing and expected to expire by the end of the first quarter next year. He also mentioned the resolution of USSD debt issues and other matters relating to the sustainability of the industry.

Maida further highlighted that the Commission’s collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser on operationalising critical national infrastructure is beginning to yield results.

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