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Benjamin Babine, Abuja
Nigerians have called on the Federal Government to order telecommunications companies to cut down their data prices during the current lockdown.
They made their positions known through social media platforms- Twitter, Instagram and others. This followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s executive order to lockdown Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states for two weeks due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Many Nigerian Twitter handlers have used the platform to lament about the heavy burden of having to subscribe for data while they are not working and earning anything this period. A number of people clamoured for telcos to cut their data prices during this period rather than donate money.
According to the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Teniola Olusola, “As you know the COVID-19 has created a change in behavior in the way and manner we are interacting with each other especially because there is no cure or vaccination for this virus. So with the calls of several governments around the world including our own to impose a lockdown, it means that the only way to entertain and communicate is to make use of digital technology. This digital technology is founded on the assumption that infrastructure exists.“In other jurisdictions where infrastructure exists they are able to have deep competition to ensure that different offers and options are available in terms of usage of data. In Nigeria, we do not have that level of infrastructure to support the various options that other citizens around the world are taking for granted.”
On what ATCON is doing to check the situation, he said: “The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), is very aware that this episode is unique and I will refer to some of the approaches that some of our members who have operations in other countries in Africa are doing in terms of reviewing their data prices downward. I don’t want to mention names but already we have one operator that has reduced it’s data prices and consumer’s will be wise to shop around. And I believe that other operators including internet service providers will also follow suit.
“What is also important to note is that, when one uses data, the applications that one uses has a determinant on the amount of data that is depleted in your bundle. So it is very important during this period of the lockdown, over the next two weeks, especially in those states that are affected, that usage of high consuming applications should be adjusted and adapted to ensure that data is used efficient and not wasted.” However, here are few tweets from users: @an_chindo: “We’re suffering a lot, some people don’t have food to eat right now, some are having issue with electricity which not stable in some places and also data prices which is expensive to some of us @tonyprenda: “Dear @GloWorld @AirtelNigeria @MTNNG @9mobileng.
