Between the Nigerian police, electricity companies, and network providers, I can't tell which of them receives the most curses daily in the country because they are all professionals when it comes to frustrating Nigerians. I can protect myself in my little way, and there is solar when the electricity company decides to misbehave, but what's with the networks that we can't do anything about?
We don't have a replacement or other personal options other than running to the other fluctuating network providers. This minute, we are praising them for a good job, and the next minute, they are showing us their true colors, not minding the fact that they are even extorting us.
For some time, I thought that my phone was the one malfunctioning because of how my data always drained at the slightest use, but when many, many people started complaining, I got to know I wasn't the only one. It's like charging us more for data wasn't enough; they even help us deduct the data anyhow like it's free of charge.
These network providers make me lose my temper a lot of the time because it's only when I am using my data for TikTok and IG that it works well. The moment I want to do meaningful things like posting or engaging on Hive, that's when it will start competing with a sloth.
I have been forced to put my phone away many times because it's useless without data, and since the network providers have failed to provide the service we are paying for, I don't have other choices.
I don't have any favorite network, and my location depends on what I am using because it seems every network has high and low signal strength in different locations. In Lagos and Ogun State, my MTN SIM works a lot better for browsing, but in Ibadan, I struggle with MTN, so Airtel comes to my rescue.
Unexpectedly, this MTN that is struggling in my location is many people's first choice in the state, and I don't know if there's something in my house shielding my SIM from connecting properly.
TikTok posts mention how buying MiFi can help us get a better network, and I think all these companies are intentionally depriving us of proper networks just because they want us to buy their newest products. They've forgotten that all fingers are not equal in the country.
I didn't have a terrible experience because I used to prepare ahead, knowing how disappointing these people can be, but there was a time when my lover and I went shopping at a small store, and they insisted on taking cash because their POS didn't have a network.
My man was pissed, and I had to control the situation by turning on my hotspot for the POS machine to connect. We made the payment, and I can't imagine what many business owners are facing with this network issue.
