How Much Should a Gigabyte of Data Really Cost?

Written under duress

For a long time, there's been this inside joke among Nigerians that “no matter how hard the country is, just buy data”.

A pretty valid statement because we have reasons to believe that we have the funniest crop on the internet. In other words, we play too much.

So for us, Internet connection >>>> Therapy.

Since it was announced last year that prices for mobile data will increase by more than 100%, we dreaded the day that it will be implemented.

So I was thinking that they were gonna ease us into it. Guess what?! We weren't eased into it… we got fucked. raw. real hard.

The first increase they made affected the ones buying a 15GB MTN bundle for 2000 NGN… the new price is now 6000.

Nigerians were outraged and MTN responded in a condescending manner.

Classic “See Finish”... we didn't blame them much. We blamed the government that sold us into the hands of these foreign corporations.

Currently, GLO and Airtel have followed suit. It's really not looking good for us. Gang banged.

1GB of data by MTN is currently worth 700 Naira - it was 350 Naira before.

20,000 could get you 100GB before but now, it can only get you 75GB.

22,000 could get you 120GB before but that plan has been scraped. You either buy the 75GB bundle or you go for a much higher number. Either way, you're fucked.

Minimum wage is 33K;

A loaf of bread is N3000: That's 11% of your salary

A cup of rice is N500, a bag is well over 100k

Average flight costs: N150k.

1GB is N700: Around 2% of your salary.

I could go on and on. Apparently, airlines in Nigeria now use the “pick and drop” system. Example: A flight from Lagos to Delta will stop at Benin Airport to pick up more passengers before heading to it's final destination.

Why? Ticket sales are extremely low… Many can no longer afford it so planes can't get many passengers from just one airport.

Bone disease has been on the rise since 2023 and victims can't even afford to drink milk. A small container will finesse around 30k from you - oh, that's almost all of our wage.

How Much Should a Gigabyte of Data Really Cost?

Honestly, it doesn't matter so long it's affordable. 1GB in Canada is worth $7.36 but we can't compare both. In Nigeria, our purchasing power is so low.

The saddest part is that nothing has been done and under the current administration, things can only get worse.

Holding these in our thoughts and prayers, the only hope is for us to be sincere and vote our conscience in the next elections. It's all about survival now.

We're not invincible. Our tolerance level can only take us so far.

~ Written under duress