Popular Nigerian stand-up comedian, Otaghware Onodjayeke, fondly called Igosave, has raised serious concerns over the operations of telecommunication companies in Nigeria, accusing them of exploiting citizens through exorbitant data charges and poor service delivery.
His outcry comes in response to the recent surge in Internet tariffs imposed by major service providers in the country.
Currently in the United Kingdom, the comedian couldn’t help but compare the stark difference in Internet quality and affordability between both nations. In a video shared on his social media, he expressed shock at how efficiently data lasts abroad compared to Nigeria.
“This is the third time I will go to my service provider in the UK to top up my phone, and they will turn me back that I still have data. I’m in shock because I bought just 20 gigabytes three weeks ago and it’s still working. It’s even very fast,” he stated.
Igosave didn’t hold back in calling on regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian government, NCC, EFCC, and ICPC, to launch an investigation into telecom providers. According to him, Nigerians are being shortchanged.
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“Internet providers in Nigeria are ripping Nigerians off. 20 gigabytes lasts one month in the UK while 50 gig one-month subscription in Nigeria doesn’t last up to three days. What’s the reason?
“Internet providers are defrauding Nigerians and they need to be investigated. There’s no difference between them and Internet fraudsters. How much is minimum wage in Nigeria that they are charging so much for data that doesn’t last?” he lamented.
With frustrations over expensive and unreliable Internet services mounting, his words echo the sentiments of many Nigerians who struggle daily with high data costs and inconsistent connectivity.