For a nation starved of telecommunications services for decades, Nigeria embraced the cellular phone technology with a vengeance. The statistics speak volumes. In the year 2000, only 400,000 lines were available through the almost moribund Nigerian Telecommunications Limited. Today, 130 million Nigerians are active telephone subscribers.
In March 2014, Nigerians were reported to be spending an average of N447.8 billion a month on recharge cards alone, much higher than what they spend on either rent, fuel or electricity. Nigerians spend all that money on their phones because they depend on these phones for much of their economic activities.
Because telephony drives economic development, it must be given the highest priority by service providers. This has not been the case in recent times and we urge the providers to tackle the problem with greater seriousness.
The complaints of Nigerian subscribers are legion. They range from the embarrassing dropped calls to the constant “subscriber not available” automated responses from busy phone lines. The continuously busy lines appear to be an indication of over-burdened networks, or poorly maintained service equipment. Whichever it is, the Nigerian economy is paying a steep price for this poor performance.
At other times, the reception of phone services is so poor that it is no use continuing the conversation. Cross talk on the lines is becoming a common feature of our phone calls as people are made to listen to other people’s conversations. The unsolicited messages are like the plague, they assault our ears and clog our inboxes daily, to everyone’s exasperation.
The peddling of unsolicited applications and music has been a nuisance for some time. It is becoming an epidemic. It can be really annoying. It would appear that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given up on enforcing its rules on this aspect of our telecommunications.
There have been messages sent but not received. Recharges that disappear mysteriously into thin air. Phones said to be switched off when they are not; calls ended so abruptly and deductions made unjustly. The issue of non-transparent billing has been a recurring decimal in the complaints of subscribers.
In all these, it is the standard response of the providers to say that the subscriber should pursue the enforcement of his rights. Truth is, this is easier said than done. An overwhelming number of subscribers do not have the time to be chasing phone representatives. They should, to keep the network providers on their toes, but we all know they can’t.
We, therefore, appeal to the GSM quartet – MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat, to be alive to their responsibilities as good corporate citizens.
In the area of Internet connections, the performance of the phone companies has been woeful, to say the least. Hundreds of hours are spent waiting for connections that never come. And, it is worsening by the day. In the year 2014, when the whole world practically runs much of its communications through the Internet, the broadband penetration of Nigeria is put at a miniscule 6 per cent. At a time Nigeria’s development needs demand that 50 per cent of our citizens and 40 per cent of our households have broadband connectivity, our appalling internet services remain a great hindrance to development.
We are well aware of some of the challenges the providers contend with. These include right of way issues, multiple taxation by state and local governments, vandalism and the need to invest in more masts. But, the providers have a very appreciative customer base that is willing to reward good service.
The NCC may have brought down SMS price from N10 to N4, but the subscriber needs greater protection now more than ever before. The price of calls needs further reduction considering the teeming number of subscribers. The Consumer Protection Council’s compendium of the rights of telecommunications subscribers in Nigeria would go a long way to educate subscribers. Above all, the quality of service should be given top priority by both the providers and the NCC. Telecommunications is a great mover of the economy. It is not just that it contributes 8.5 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it is an engine of development and must be treated as such.
