Despite enormous revenues for telecom carriers, subscribers complain that they receive no remuneration

Mobile Network Operators, or MNOs, in Nigeria have been criticized by Nigerian telecom customers for failing to compensate them with incentives and presents to honor the holiday season this year while declaring enormous profits.

According to reliable information obtained by kuryaloaded, MTN Nigeria, Airtel, 9Mobile, and Glo did not offer season’s greetings presents to the country’s over 212.3 million active consumers as of the time this article was filed.

In early December, Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said that the number of active telecom users in Nigeria increased from 400,000 in 2000 to 212.2 million in 2022.

He claims that the increase equals a teledensity of 111%, while the number of basic internet subscribers increased from 0 to 152.7 million.

The sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP of over $70 billion was crucial to what the EVC noted.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ gathering in November 2022, Danbatta disclosed this information.

In its 2020 Subscribers/Network Data report, the NCC, Nigeria’s top telecom regulator, claimed that four major telecoms in the country—MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Glo Mobile, 9Mobile, Internet service providers (ISPs), and other telecoms operators—earned N2.88 trillion in revenue in 2020, up from the N2.516 trillion reported in 2019.

Recent statistics show that MTN Nigeria made N269 billion in profit in the first nine months of 2022.

According to MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola, “growth was broad-based across our major revenue lines, such as voice, data, fintech, and digital services.”

Similar gains were made throughout the reviewed time by 9Mobile, Airtel, and Glo.

However, despite all of the claimed gains by the Mobile Network Operators, they did not feel that it was important to thank their clients for helping them accomplish such a feat.

Bonuses in the form of free Short Message Service, SMS, Voice, and Internet data are granted in other regions, such as South Africa and Ghana. Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, has a different predicament.

The Executive Secretary of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Mr. Ajibola Olude, responded to the development in an exclusive Chat with kuryaloaded on Tuesday. He said the MNOs may still have such plans in the works to reward their customers before this year comes to an end.

He clarified that it would be incorrect to assume that MNOs did not give their customers rewards.

By the first week of 2023, he speculated, telecom providers might have a plan to reward users.

“The year hasn’t ended; it would be incorrect to presume that these MNOs do not value their clients,” he remarked. By year’s end or the beginning of 2023, they might start planning for it.

Apart from promotions, MNOs should enhance their quality of service, according to Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS).

“Airtel, MTN, and Glo now run promotions that can be considered bonuses, but MNOs should seek to enhance the quality of services,” the statement reads.

However, Mr. Eze Ugochukwu argued that it was regretful and added that such a carefree attitude could only exist in Nigeria.

“Appreciating clients at the end of a business year is vital and handled seriously,” he said, comparing Nigeria to a sophisticated nation like the USA.

Musa Mohammed, an Abuja resident and another subscriber, claimed that the majority of MNOs in Nigeria are not used to rewarding their customers.

Unfortunately, I don’t anticipate any compensation from Nigerian mobile network operators. They haven’t been able to deliver services of a high caliber. Is it a bonus they’d offer? He declared.

Companies show their consumers affection throughout the Christmas season all over the world, but Nigeria is certainly an exception.