Lekan Fatodu
The fighting spirit and resilience of most Nigerians are, by all measures, incomparable.
Indeed, it takes an unusual capacity for survival for any human to endure continually failing governments, an unfriendly business environment and largely insensitive leadership.
In case you care to know, that’s exactly the lot of most Nigerians
in a country reputed to be the biggest economy and the largest producer of crude oil on the African continent.
Yet, Nigerians, in their uncommon optimism, are looking forward to a
golden destination where most of their miseries will be a thing of the past, and everything will begin to fall in appropriate places.
Really, it is doubtful that Nigeria will ever record any measure of progress as seen today without the tremendous fortitude and sense of hope inherent in their citizens.
Before 2001, when the government approved licenses of private investors for the operations of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to improve mobile telephony in the country, there was nothing to write home about the state of telephone services in Nigeria.
The only telephone service provider then, Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), which was owned by the government, was already in total comatose.
At the time, the circumstance of non-existent telephone services in the country gave birth to the emergence of fraudulent service providers who consistently exploited the innocence of Nigerians in dire need of telephone for personal and business uses. The nebulous modus operandi of these shady operators during that period remains a dark spot in the evolution of mobile telephony in the country.
However, the rolling out of the operations of the private telecommunications service providers, who were largely foreign investors, in 2001 was a huge game changer and life saver for many Nigerians.
No sooner than the investors stepped into Nigeria’s telecommunications market had Nigerians began to relish wonderful experiences of the availability of mobile phones making communication easier which in turn impacted positively on business operations.
Meanwhile if Nigerians had thought that the best of mobile communication phenomenon was in its emergence, the introduction of pocket-friendly call plans by the first and only Nigerian owned telecommunications operator added remarkable value to the market.
Globacom, Nigerian-owned service provider, came into the mix in 2003, two years after the initial operators; and its arrival was a bang.
Its major disruption of the sector was the introduction of the “per second” billing at a time when the first operators were charging customers per minute on every call made.
The new operator, popularly known as Glo, quickly made a resounding mark in a lucrative business environment hitherto dominated by foreign players, and has continued to compete strongly as the company with the second largest subscriber base in the country.
Since inception, the telecommunications giant has made efforts to reinforce the die-hard spirit of Nigeria and inspire Nigerians to pursue their dreams with all vigour through its moving brand slogans and endorsements of Nigerians of great talent.
From “Glo with Pride” to “Glo Unlimited”, the company has been telling a compelling story of grit and gains.
Little wonder that Glo has chosen no other person than the current World heavyweight boxing champion, the British-Nigerian Anthony Joshua, as a brand ambassador.
For those who really know, Joshua’s story of rising from humble beginnings to global stardom is a potent inspirational note for those seeking to go higher and a fitting demonstration of the Nigerian spirit.
Indeed, the”speed, power, tenacity and the fighting spirit that Nigerians are known for”, as Joshua said in a video commercial for Glo, are remarkable. Certainly, that’s the spirit behind the company’s focus on global dimensions in its recent undertakings.
