EDITORIAL: The tyranny of telecommunication companies in Nigeria

As Nigerians continue to suffer under the yoke of subpar telecommunications services, it’s time to confront the elephant in the room: the networks are fleecing us. 9mobile, MTN, Airtel, and Glo – all are guilty of perpetuating a culture of deceit, hidden charges, and exorbitant data prices.

The numbers are staggering. According to a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecommunications sector generated a whopping ₦2.3 trillion in revenue in the past year alone.

Yet, despite this astronomical figure, the quality of service remains abysmal.

Drop calls, poor network coverage, and sluggish internet speeds have become the norm.

But that’s not all. The networks have also perfected the art of hidden charges.

A recent investigation by the NCC revealed that telecommunications operators in Nigeria had deducted over ₦100 billion from subscribers’ accounts without their consent. This is nothing short of daylight robbery.

And then there’s the issue of data prices. Nigerians pay some of the highest data rates in the world.

Nigeria has the 14th most expensive mobile data in the world. The average cost of 1GB of data in Nigeria is ₦1,200, compared to ₦150 in India.

The situation is further complicated by the lack of transparency in the telecommunications sector.

The NCC, which is supposed to regulate the industry, has been accused of being toothless. The commission’s failure to enforce strict penalties on erring operators has emboldened them to continue their nefarious activities.

So, what’s the way forward? First, the NCC must wake up from its slumber and start enforcing the rules.

Erring operators must be penalized heavily for their infractions. Second, the networks must be forced to adopt transparent pricing.

No more hidden charges or deceitful advertising.

Third, the government must invest in modern telecommunications infrastructure to improve the quality of service.

Nigerians deserve better. It’s time for us to rise up and demand better services from our telecommunications networks. We will not be silenced by the networks’ propaganda machines.

Diaspora Digital Media refuses to be fooled by their empty promises. We demand action, and we demand it now.

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