Twenty-four years ago, Nigeria took a giant leap into the digital age. The year was 2001, and the arrival of digital mobile telephony rewrote the nation’s economic, social, and even cultural script. What a ride it has been.
From the moment those first SIM cards hit the market, a quiet revolution began. No, not in the dusty corridors of power or the high towers of industry, but in the hands of ordinary Nigerians. The change was instant and irreversible. Suddenly, you could call anyone, anywhere, anytime. Businesses found new ways to connect, families stayed in touch across continents, and young people discovered the magic of “flashing.”
The magic started when then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration sanctioned the liberalisation of Nigeria’s telecoms sector and approved the licensing of digital mobile operators. It was a bold, forward-looking policy decision that opened the door to private investment, broke the state monopoly, and set the stage for a competitive market. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) conducted the 2001 landmark GSM auction that ushered in the mobile revolution that transformed the nation’s economic and social landscape.
But the real story of these 24 years goes far beyond the joy of mobile calls and texts. It’s about jobs, commerce, and capacity building on a scale on a humongous scale.
Let’s start with employment. Digital mobile telephony has created hundreds of thousands of direct jobs, from engineers and marketers to customer service agents and retail sales staff. These are the visible ones. I was privileged to spend almost nine exciting years at MTN Nigeria. Then there are the millions of indirect jobs: tower riggers, recharge card sellers, mobile money agents, SIM registration officers, and, yes, even those who rent out umbrellas to street-side phone vendors.
Every city, every town, every village has felt this ripple effect. For many young Nigerians, that first job in a telco store or as a recharge card hawker was the gateway to bigger opportunities. It wasn’t just about earning money; it was about learning discipline, customer service, and the hustle mindset that fuels our economy.
The impact on the economy? Massive. Think of a sector, any sector, and I’ll show you how mobile telephony supercharged it. Agriculture? Farmers now contact buyers directly, eliminating the need for middlemen. Banking? Mobile banking, USSD codes and fintechs with services like Moniepoint, OPay and PalmPay have turned phones into banks, driving financial inclusion for millions. Education? Students download resources and attend virtual classes. Entertainment? Nollywood and Afrobeats exploded onto the global stage, riding on the back of mobile internet.
It’s no exaggeration to say that digital mobile telephony became the invisible infrastructure powering Nigeria’s growth.
Besides, mobiles supercharged SMEs, which make up over 90 per cent of Nigerian businesses. Research shows that businesses using mobile internet see productivity jumps of at least 10 per cent, growing twice as fast and exporting more. Today, across Nigeria, millions of people are earning a living from phone-related hustles. From POS agents handling cashless transactions to content creators on TikTok, mobile is the ultimate job creator.
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of this revolution is the massive skill transfer it triggered. In 2001, Nigeria had limited local expertise in telecoms engineering, network maintenance, or digital customer care. Today, the country boasts a growing army of telecoms professionals, many of whom now export their skills to other African countries and beyond.
Capacity building wasn’t limited to engineers. Entrepreneurs learned to run distribution networks. Marketers learned to sell intangibles. Young people learned to code, build apps, and create mobile-first businesses. And it’s still ongoing, the sector keeps up-skilling people to keep pace with evolving technology.
Now, there is a segment that appears to operate below the radar. It doesn’t get enough attention. I’m talking of the parts and accessories market. This is the huge informal sector that thrives in every corner of Nigeria. From chargers, earphones, and phone cases to replacement screens and batteries, the trade is endless.
The scale is mind-boggling. Think of Computer Village in Lagos, GSM Village in Abuja, and smaller clusters across every state. These markets employ tens of thousands directly, and their supply chains support countless others, including importers, wholesalers, artisans who fix phones, and street vendors. It’s an economy within an economy, and its contribution is incalculable.
As we mark 24 years, it’s worth noting that the journey is far from over. The conversation has shifted from basic connectivity to high-speed internet, 5G rollouts, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence. The opportunities are bigger, the stakes higher, and the potential limitless.
But let’s not forget, this all began with the simple power to make a call. That one breakthrough unleashed a chain of economic, social, and personal transformations that continue to shape Nigeria today. At this point, both MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria deserve commendation for their outstanding performance during this period.
So here’s to 24 years of digital mobile telephony in Nigeria, the ride that changed everything, and still promises more.
Elvis Eromosele, a corporate communications professional and sustainability advocate, wrote via elviseroms@gmail.com.