Following HumanIPO’s report on the ban placed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on promotions and lotteries by telecoms operators in Nigeria, the telecommunictaions regulator’s decision has been met with mixed reactions from the the industry’s various stakeholders.
Speaking to HumanIPO, Tolu Olaoti, a postgraduate student at the nation’s premier university the University of Ibadan, said the NCC was inconsiderate with its harsh decisions. According to him, prior to the ban, he was enjoying the promo being offered by his telecoms service provider, MTN Nigeria.
He said every time he used N150 airtime, he got N500 bonus to make calls, which he says helped him to stay in touch with his family, friends and other loved ones who he wouldn’t have been able to call regularly as he currently does.
“Anytime I want to call many people, all I had to do was to use up to 150 naira and I will get 500 naira airtime bonus. With the extra airtime, it has been easy for me to stay in touch with my family members who are living in the trouble areas of the north,” Tolu said.
In her own view, Ronke, an on-air personality at Splash FM 105.5 while speaking on the issue on her morning show said she believes the decision of the NCC was in the best interest of telecoms users in Nigeria. She narrated her ordeal on a particular evening when she wanted to make an important call.
According to her, she tried calling for hours all to no avail as a result of congested network. She then advised telecoms operators in Nigeria to match their promos with improvement in the quality of the services they render.
Segun Ilori is an airtime retailer in Ibadan. He said he recorded lower sales during the period of the promos as subscribers paid less to get more airtime. However, since the advent of the ban, business has been on the rise. He therefore urged the NCC to ensure that the ban is enforced and subscribers pay for the service being offered.
A customer care staff of Glo Nigeria who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity agreed with the NCC on the impact of the promotions and lotteries on the quality of the services provided by Glo.
She said since the ban, there has been a drastic reduction in the number of complaints related to connectivity difficulties and she believes that in the following weeks, Nigerians will get used to the new regime and will become satisfied with the quality and not quantity of telecoms services offered in trhe country.
