Most Growing Telecom Market of the World:::Nigeria

Nigeria has emerged as the most admired telecom destination on the Globe. It is a big achievement for a country with 170 Million Population(2.4% of World Population and 17% of African Continent) a GDP of  $ 377 Billion (0.54% of world GDP and 12% of African GDP) and being 31st in world in terms of Per Capita Income. Nigeria is a 3rd largest economy in Africa. Now I will share de facto of journey of Nigeria of becoming a Number 1 Telecom Market in terms of growth.

Three P’s make a Technology Market successful.

Policy of the Government. The Policy is really important if you are unable to give the unbiased atmosphere to the Telecom Operators. No one will step into your market. So attraction and buzz is important for the policy makers. It short it is the foundation on which this market grow.




People reaction towards the Change. If the response of the people is not fair towards the market or new technology or strategy of the government. The policy can never succeed. The biggest example is opening Retail market to foreign investors in India came from the government but is annulled  also due to lack of awareness as well as the sluggish response by people. If it would have been implemented the FIIs/FDIs would had queued up to make it big as Telecom. This policy can be the second successful policy after Economic reforms of 1991. But was left midway. Now moving on to the third point.




Potential if you don’t have a population with surplus money you cannot sell Pizza, Mobile Phones and Cars at these places. Nigerian population is able to respond well to this change because they started getting the surplus money due to increased job opportunities in the country and hence became the Biggest Emerging Telecom market.




But if you have all these three sets right you can see the growth figures like below:-
The growth of Internet/Telephony in Nigeria between 2000-2008 was a Jaw dropping figure of 4900%.
 
These are the major Telecom Operators functioning in Nigeria:-
1. MTel (Transcorp)
2. Airtel (Zain Group)
3. Globalcom
4. MTN (Nigeria)
5. Etisalat
See the diversity of Mobile operators functioning in this country which itself says the success story. MTN from South Africa, Mtel from Nigeria itself, Airtel from India, Etisalat from UAE, Globalcom from Nigeria Again. When you people connect with you to progress this means that you are on peak of your success same is the case with Nigerian Telecom Industry.




Why Nigeria be considered as role model for others?
Nigeria is successful because of major two factors their growth rate is ~7% and growth rate of telecom is ~8% year over year. If you give people growth conducive atmosphere they start focusing on other aspects of life and a real advent of human growth journey starts from there on.

Telecom has started where IT left. IT conjoined continents and Telecom brought Countries, Cities, Villages, Streets nearby. If you are able to make technologies but unable to touch masses then expecting growth is like expecting mangoes from a banana tree.

IT followed top to bottom approach but Telecom follows bottom to top approach. Telecom started as a medium to make Voice Calls and SMS and now is ready to take challenge making all the mobile users converted to Internet Data users. Hence filling up digital divide which IT was unable to complete. I with this post reemphasis here that the success is never a proprietary of certain people, country or region it is a strong wave from a ocean which soaks anyone stands in front of it.


All the Figures in post Courtesy:- www.Wikipedia.com

Tele-Columnist!