Friday, May 25, 2012

Markets in Everything: Two, or Sometimes Even Four, Cell Phones per Person in Nigeria

BBC News -- "If you must make a call to anybody's mobile phone in Nigeria, you need to be understanding and patient - it can be a very frustrating and annoying experience. In the first place, it takes luck for the call to get through, and when both parties are connected, there is no guarantee that you will hear each other or that the line will not drop after a few seconds.

A conversation which normally should not last two minutes may after several calls take 10 minutes and, believe me, both of you will pay for every second. Being very practical people, Nigerians have devised a way, though expensive, to ease the problem.

Why wait for government regulators who are believed to be more interested in the huge after-profit taxes accruing from the networks than the satisfaction of subscribers? So everyone who can afford it has a minimum of two mobile phones from different operators. Some have as many as four. They use whichever is operational at any given time."

4 Comments:

At 5/25/2012 9:57 PM, Blogger juandos said...

4 cell phones, eh?

Maybe said phones perform in a necessary dual capacity, communications and a poor man's armor...

 
At 5/26/2012 12:52 AM, Blogger Joanne said...

Something that is made for convenience is a hinderance...UGH!
Blessings, Joanne

 
At 5/26/2012 8:45 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would do it too if I could afford three or four phone bills.

Maybe I could afford it without all the regulatory fees & taxes on my phone bill.

 
At 5/26/2012 2:58 PM, Blogger juandos said...

"I would do it too if I could afford three or four phone bills"...

moneyjihad back in '09 when I was last there it seemed like anyone who had a cell phone bought cards with minutes on them from all the little stores both in the cities and out in the sticks....

 

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