Over a decade now, the mobile gadget market in Nigeria has seen a continuous and consistent increase in patronage. Annually or sometimes quarterly, the Nigeria market receives influx of new, improved and technologically advanced mobile devices. With a population estimate of over 180 million and a viable and profitable market, Nigeria is core to global mobile device manufacturers. With advancement in mobile devices comes the internet. In 2008, 0ver 112 million Nigerians had access to the internet which translates that 56% of the total population are connected to the internet. The internet became a platform through which Nigerians interacted and business was conducted. One then wonders what the history of mobile telephony in Nigeria is.
Taking a quick and brief walk through the history books, it was in 1870s when Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray both individual and independently designed devices that could transmit speech electrically. This led to a legal battle over who invented this device which Abraham Bell won. While experimenting on his latest discovery, Bell discovered that he could hear sound over a wire. March 10, 1876 came his revolutionary success and birth of the telephone as he was able to talk and transmit speech electrically. This technological breakthrough has revolutionised our lives and contributed to making the world a global village.
In Nigeria, telecommunication began developing in 1886 when a cable connection was established between Lagos and the colonial office in London. Telephone services were then provided in government offices in Lagos which later extended to other parts of Nigeria. The first commercial communication was established between Itu and Calabar in 1923. A three line carrier system was then established and commissioned between Lagos and Ibadan and later, Oshogbo, Enugu, Kano, Benin and Kaduna between 1946 and 1952. During this era, access to this device was limited to those who could afford it. In 1985, Nigeria telecommunication limited (NITEL) was established and fully commercialised in 1992. NITEL was formed in 1985 from a merger between Nigerian External communications (NEC) and Post and Telecommunications (P&T). Its deregulation of the industry by Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) in 1992 led to the emergence of licensed private Telecommunications operators (PTO). Bureaucracy, corruption and poor management hindered the improvement of NITEL while other PTOs flourished in a relatively free market.
During President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first term, in 2001, NITEL awarded a contract to Ericsson to deliver a GSM network with a capacity of 118,000 lines for subscribers. Lagos, Kano, Portharcourt, Abuja, Kaduna and Ibadan were among the major cities that had these network rolled into for quick coverage but only 10,000 Nigerians subscribed in the first year of GSM services. For further round of expansion and upgrade to provide 400,000 lines for subscribers, $53m contract was awarded to Ericsson in July 2003. Mid 2004 saw 120,000 subscribers by Mtel compared with over two million for Vmobile and Mtn. Several contracts were awarded to ZTE of china, Motorola and Ericsson in millions of dollars for expansions of mobile network across Nigeria. By 2018, Asian brands like Infinix, Fero, Tecno, Samsung, Nokia etc have become customers favourable and most sold mobile brands on Jumia.
The evolution of mobile telephone in Nigeria has been remarkable. Nigerian telecommunication sector has come a long way and has become a viable market for latest/improved devices. A majority of Nigerians spend roughly 12 hours on their gadget daily either conducting a business or keeping in touch with friends and families. The importance and benefits of these mobile devices in the lives of an average Nigerian cannot be overemphasised. Lastly, the telecommunication sector has witnessed immense growth in recent years thanks to the massive influx of mobile devices, which inadvertently have also provided employment to millions of Nigerians and has been a major contributor to the development and modernisation of the country.
SOLA ALOGBA
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