Ict/Telecom

Telecoms Providers, Subscribers Lament Challenges

Published

11 years ago

August 1, 2014

A cross section of tele
communications providers and customers across the country have bemoaned the challenges facing the industry in the country.
A cross section of the people made their views known in exclusive interviews with The Tide source in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and other parts of the country.
Most network providers complained of hostility of the environment as most of their facilities have either been vandalised or stolen by unknown persons, while some customer spoke of poor services and high tariff, among others.
A mobile phone user in Kuje, Nyanaya, Mpape, Karu, Asokoro areas of Abuja, complained of poor services rendered by the various networks, mostly at night.
An MTN subscriber, Mrs Shila Andrew,complained of getting unsubscribed messages for which the network provider had been deducting her money from her credit balance.
“Sometimes I am charged by the MTN for services I did not subscribe to; I also get unsolicited messages,’’ she said.
A businessman, Mr Chizota Nwanyanwa,complained that he had never been able to speak with any customer care agent of his network provider in spite of the several attempts to reach them.
Nwanyanwu said that sometimes, his credit for airtime would be deducted illegally for services he did not ask for.
A banker, Mrs Chinyere Ndokwa, described the unsolicited messages flooding her phone as ‘disturbing and irritating’.
Ndokwad described the frequent messages she received on her phone as an invasion of her privacy, as sometimes, the messages came at odd hours.
“Looking at the recurring challenges over the years, it seems to me that the mobile telephone service companies are not doing anything to address the complaints.
“The regulatory body should, therefore, put more effort so that we can all enjoy better services from the telecoms providers,” she said.
Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, the President, National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, said in Lagos that though operators claimed they included the ‘STOP’ option in messages sent, that option had not been functional.
According to Ogunbanjo, “when you send ‘stop’ to the short code, they still continue to send the unsolicited messages.
“It is getting too much; the messages are even increasing by the day. In fact, it is a way of cheating the subscribers because they continue to deduct money for such unsubscribed messages.’’
In Port-Harcourt, mobile phone users complained of poor service and high tariff charges.
Some of the subscribers told our reporter that the cost of recharge cards sold across Rivers State was higher than the official price fixed by network providers.
A subscriber of MTN and Glo, mobile phones, Mr Michael Dick, said poor network from the service providers had been a challenge to the public.
Dick, who is also a mobile phones dealer, said that the poor network of providers deprived him of free flow of communication with his customers.
“I bought a Glo line as an alternative to my MTN line; even then Glo has also failed to give me the service I wanted, although its services are better in some areas.
“Data plan of MTN for browsing would not allow me browse freely without wasting my airtime when subscribed, while Glo allows me to browse, its charges are very high compared to others,” he said.
A subscriber to GLO and Airtel, Mr JohnPaul Solo, who is also a cell phone dealer, said that some network providers ignored complaints from their customers.
According to him, each time he called the customer service desk, the desk officer would turned him down by saying that they will get back to him, which they don’t in the end.
In Jigawa, telecommunication operators and the GSM service providers blamed their dealers for differences in the cost of recharge cards.
The operators of MTN, Glo world and Etisalat, who spoke to NAN in Dutse, alleged that dealers deliberately increased prices of recharge cards to maximise profit.
The Dutse Manager of Glo world, Mr Sunday Akinwa, said the dealers’ action was affecting their businesses.
“We actually noticed that before now, dealers increased the prices beyond our approved market prices.
“We have taken steps to check this practice among the dealers and everything had been harmonised now.’’
Akinwa, however, identified poor weather conditions and insecurity due to insurgency as factors responsible for the epileptic and inefficient services being experienced by their customers in Jigawa.
He said that the rainstorm, which was often accompanied by heavy wind, usually disrupted services.in the area.
“Some of our facilities in Bauchi State which supply services to Jigawa were destroyed by terrorists recently,’’ he said.
The manager said that efforts were on to improve services provided by Glo, adding that their engineers were currently at various locations across the nation to rectify some identified problems.
Meanwhile, mobile operators in Yobe have blamed the insecurity and lack of electricity supply for the poor services experienced in some parts of the state.
Besides, an engineer with one of the service providers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the service providers lost some of their equipment to the activities of terrorists in the state.
“Masts and generators were razed down by the attackers. The other service providers have put their facilities back to use, but we still don’t have Glo service across the state because of the equipment that was destroyed.
“It is also important to note that the operators run their equipment on generators, using diesel; this also accounts for the high cost and breakdown in service because of wear and tear on the generators,” he said.
Investigation by The Tide source on the increase in the prices of recharge cards revealed that there are very few dealers who supply the cards.
Ali Isa, a recharge card vendor, explained: “We have to travel to Kano or Gombe to buy the cards and the conditions, including deposits to be made to the service operators, makes the whole process cumbersome and challenging.
“When the cards are supplied, some vendors add a little amount to cover the cost of transportation and other logistics because the gain on recharge cards is very minimal.’’
However, mobile phone users said they were forced to pay extra N20 on the recharge cards in spite of advertisements by service operators that the cost of recharge cards was fixed and stable.
On the customer care lines provided for complaints, some customers said they were not aware of the lines and had not been using them while others complained that “the operators keep one waiting for too long.”
A student, Fati Musa, said, “they will keep you waiting until you get tired and switch off so, why waste my time.’’
The survey, however, showed that operators in Gombe State are trying to surmount their challenges by devising measures to tackle them.
Some GSM service providers in Gombe said they had adopted new products by opening small offices to improve their service delivery and satisfy their customers.
A salesman at Globacom office in the state capital, Mr Austine Daniel, that the firm had increased the number of its sites to 15 in the state and was extending its coverage to other areas to improve services.
He said when completed, the network services would be extended to areas where coverage was hitherto difficult, adding that the quality of the services would consequently improve.

President Goodluck Jonathan(right), during the capturing of his biodata at the official launch of new e-passport in Abuja last Wednesday. With him is Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Abba Moro (2nd right). Photo: NAN

Ict/Telecom

NCC Assures Safe, Accessible Digital Space

Published

1 week ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured Nigerians of accessible, resilient and safe digital space in the nation’s digital economy.
The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Rimini Makama, gave the assurance at the NCC’s Digital Economy Sensitisation Forum, with the theme, “Leaving No One Behind: Digital Access, Equity and Empowerment” in Abuja.
Makama said that the commission remained committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s national telecommunications infrastructure remained resilient, accessible and secure.
“Digital empoScientists Advocate Shared Responsibility To Boost Food Securitywerment must be inclusive. Without inclusion and equity, the benefits of the digital economy will remain unevenly distributed.
“The commission, through its Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and other initiatives, is actively extending digital opportunities to the unserved, underserved, physically challenged and vulnerable groups through several impactful programmes,” he said.
The Publicity Expert for the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr Nihinlola Fefa, said that the association had been an advocate of cyber security awareness and sensitisation over the years.
“ATCON has been a very key stakeholder in the ICT and telecom industry. We have always advocated for cybersecurity awareness and sensitisation.
“We have been giving our own input over the years. We interface with all the telecom companies. We do a lot of studies, and we also give our contributions in so many ways,” she said.
She commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, for deploying technology into rural communities.
According to her, though Nigeria is doing well in the area of cybersecurity, there is room for improvement.
“We are in a good position right now and we can do better from the government side,” she said.
Also speaking, the Head, IT and Cybersecurity, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Olorunisomo Isola, said that the commission had rolled out the necessary framework.

Ict/Telecom

Expert Tasks Nigerians On AI

Published

1 week ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

An economist, Dr Chinedu Amadi, has urged Nigerians to leverage the opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become competitive in the global business and social spaces.
Amadi, who is also the President, Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC), gave the urge during an interview with newsmen , in Abuja, Monday.
Amadi noted that humanity has always advanced by expanding its intelligence and capabilities through technology across different eras pointing out that AI now drives economic systems, social interactions and competitive advantage among nations globally.
“The world is entering a phase where humans and intelligent machines will share cognitive functions, so Nigeria should innovate or risk being sidelined in the emerging global digital order.
“The next frontier extends beyond AI tools to a deeper relationship between human consciousness and machine intelligence. This phase has the dawn of shared human machine cognition shaping future innovation and development worldwide,” he said.
Amadi noted that countries like the U.S., Japan and China already integrated AI into national planning, logistics and defence operations.
He warned that a deeper wave of collaboration between humans and intelligent systems is rapidly emerging
urging Nigeria and other African nations not to remain passive observers in this technological transition.
“Nigeria must innovate urgently or risk missing another major industrial revolution. Future global leadership will favour nations that create, regulate and ethically manage advanced technologies,” he added.
He said that the youthful population is viewed as a potential cognitive economy capable of driving digital creativity.
He advised policymakers and institutions to develop indigenous technologies, reflecting national priorities and moral values.
The president, however, noted that energy and agricultural sector can gain efficiency through predictive AI and advanced computation, adding that governance can also benefit from digital systems that strengthen transparency and curb corruption.
While noting that neural interfaces and quantum processing would soon merge human thought with computationAmadi said that the evolution demands ethical guidance, empathy and deeper human conscience in education system.
According to him, nations worldwide are racing to regulate AI and Nigeria also needs to define its strategic position.
“The future beyond AI will favour societies that balance innovation with wisdom and uphold human dignity,” he said.

Ict/Telecom

NIGCOMSAT Expands Nigeria’s Digital Broadcast Subsector By 35%

Published

1 week ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited says the country’s digital broadcast subsector has expanded by 35 per cent to 75 per cent utilisation in two years.
This, it said, represented a milestone in the country’s digital transformation drive.
The Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, made the remark at a retreat with the theme: ‘Aligning for the Future: Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainable Growth”, in Abuja, Monday.
According to her the theme reflects NIGCOMSAT’s commitment to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation and positioning itself as a global satellite industry leader.
She said one of the notable achievements in its broadcast segment was the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project, describing it as not just a technical milestone but also a national service.
“This growth is a testament to the organization’s improved service delivery and stronger engagement with partners and clients.
“The DSO project, a collaborative effort with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is a key milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“NIGCOMSAT’s contribution to the project is enabling digital broadcasting penetration across the federation, cementing the organisation’s position at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” she said.
Egerton-Idehen said the achievements were expected to drive revenue growth, with target of three billion naira in annual revenue and eight billion naira in revenue within three years adding that the organisation’s expansion of broadband services and private sector partnership was key to achieving the goals.
“We cannot move boldly into the future without addressing the weight of the past. Our debt profile — both financial and operational — is a reality we must confront with strategy, discipline, and creativity.
“These are our headwinds. We acknowledge them openly because honesty is the first step toward transformation.,” Egerton-Idehen said.
She said in spite of challenges such as economic barriers and competition, the organisation remained optimistic about the future.
“We must out-innovate the market, deepen partnerships, and build a culture of solution-focused, profit-driven, and people-centered excellence.”
“The key initiatives include transitioning to software-defined satellites, expanding broadband services, and the NIGCOMSAT Accelerator for the Space Ecosystem.
“The organisation is prioritising public-private partnerships, branding, and communication, as well as investing in its people,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Data Science Nigeria, Olubayo Adekanbi, said satellite-based economy could revolutionise key sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, creating new job opportunities and increasing productivity.
“By providing internet access to remote areas, satellite technology can bridge the digital divide and ensure no one is left behind.