It would be stating less than the obvious to give a damning verdict on the Telcos in Nigeria that they have been totally reckless and unresponsive to the concerns of their numerous stakeholders.
The telephone revolution in Nigeria came in 2001 with the entry of GSM, which was a tremendous turnaround from the hitherto epileptic analogue system with attendant glitches. It may not be convenient at this point to list the numerous concerns and pains of users of that old system prior to the entry of the GSM which indeed brought relief to individuals, corporate bodies with the attendant benefits of being able to reach-out to virtually every part of the World.
For purpose of elucidation, GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications, which is a digital mobile network technology that allows mobile devices to communicate via voice and data. GSM is a second-generation (2G) telecommunication standard that was developed in the 1980s by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute ,ETSI, from reliable internet source. The system has since then advanced beyond the 2G network.
However, growing demands for reliable connectivity in Nigeria’s digital economy, stakeholders have urged telecommunication companies to prioritise robust and inclusive services.
We are impressed that stakeholders including industry leaders, government officials, and consumer advocates have called for enhanced infrastructure and service delivery across the country.
They expressed concerns over frequent network disruptions, slow internet speeds, and limited rural connectivity, which continue to hamper businesses and individual users. All these have been the drawbacks of the system that indeed revolutionised our world of telephony.
President of the Nigerian Digital Economy Forum, Dr. Adewale Yusuf, highlighted the critical role of telcos in fostering economic development. He said: “Telecommunication is the backbone of Nigeria’s digital transformation”.
Yet, inadequate services and poor infrastructure have created barriers to growth, innovation, and digital inclusion.
He noted the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, e-commerce, healthcare, and financial services, stressing that the current state of telecom services was insufficient to meet the demands of Nigeria’s rapidly growing population.
To enjoy better patronage and give quality service, Telcos must invest heavily in expanding network coverage, particularly in underserved rural areas, as this would enable greater access to digital resources and bridge the digital divide.
They have also been encouraged to implement advanced technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence ,AI, to improve network stability and speed.
We align our position with one expert who noted that the telcos must engage and enlighten the subscribers before reviewing their tariffs. “We are advocating for quality services and that we are not going to compromise in 2025. The telecom operators in Nigeria have failed us and we won’t take that this year.
“They are agitating for tariff increase whereas we don’t get value for what we pay for. If they want to review their tariffs, they must first improve their services and then engage us for every stakeholder to reach an agreement on the amount”.
With increasing online activities, stakeholders emphasised the need for telcos to adopt robust cybersecurity measures to protect users from digital threats.
We urge the Nigerian Communications Commission ,NCC, to work closely with telcos to ensure compliance with service quality benchmarks.
Also the Commission has often expressed its commitment to fostering a thriving telecom sector it must walk the talk by ensuring compliance. This can be achieved by creating an enabling environment for the Telcos.
Given the commitments from operators and regulator, we are optimistic that the telecommunications sector in Nigeria would no longer experience epileptic services which have bedeviled GSM services since its inception.
It has not been totally a tale of woes but there are grounds for improvement in the telecoms sector.
