Elon Musk’s Starlink has announced increasing its subscription prices in Nigeria with the excuse of excessive levels of inflation.

In an email from the SpaceX-powered satellite Internet service provider to its Nigerian customers, the standard residential plan with a 1TB fair usage policy will now cost $48, (₦75,000), up from $24, (₦38,000).

According to the notice, the price for Starlink kits remains unchanged at ₦440,000, while regional roaming customers will have to part with ₦167,000 per month, up from ₦49,000, which is the largest increment, just as international roaming will now cost a ₦717,000 per month.

“As a current customer, your monthly service price will increase in 1 month, beginning from 31 October 2024,” part of the email read.

The price increase for Nigerian customers is coming a few days after Starlink unveiled affordable plans for its Kenyan customers who will benefit from lower monthly subscription rates, such as $30.87 (KSh 4,000) for the mini plan and $50.43 (KSh 6,500) for the standard plan.

The lower incentives the eastern African country have been seen as Starlink’s response to growing competition from local Internet service providers (ISPs) in Kenya with leading service providers such as Safaricom and Jamii Telecommunications upgrading their services to retain customers.

Safaricom recently increased its Internet fibre speeds while maintaining prices, offering customers up to 500 Mbps on premium plans for $97 (KSh 12,500) monthly.

In August 2024, Starlink also introduced a $15 (KSh 1,950) monthly kit rental option, with an additional one-time activation fee of $21 (KSh 2,730), to the East African market to make its satellite Internet services more accessible.

According to Ruth Nankabirwa, Uganda’s minister for energy and mineral development, the country has established a state-owned mining firm to oversee the government’s equity holdings in mining operations.

Prior to now, private companies have carried out all mining operations in the East African nation following the acquisition of exploration and mining permits.

The government may compel the acquisition of a 15% free carry interest in all mining enterprises within the nation under a new mining law that was adopted in 2022. This action is a part of larger attempts to increase Uganda’s revenue from its natural resources, emulating other African nations like Tanzania.

“This company will manage the state’s commercial interests in the mining industry. It will do so through strategic partnerships with young developers in the private sector,” Nankabirwa told a mining conference in Kampala on Tuesday.

The administration of President Yoweri Museveni has also been pressuring industry participants to refine minerals and add value locally rather than shipping them unprocessed.

Woodcross Resources, a mining company, established Uganda’s first tin refining plant in April. The company purifies tin ore to a 99.9% purity.

Australia’s Ionic Rare Earths has been granted a licence to mine and process rare earths, while Chinese-backed Sunbird Resources has been granted permission to mine limestone for the production of cement in the northeastern part of Uganda, known as Karamoja.