SAME MTN. SAME DStv. SAME AFRICA. DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, DIFFERENT RULES: WHY ARE NIGERIANS PAYING MORE, LOSING MORE, AND GETTING LESS? IT IS TIME TO DEMAND EQUAL TREATMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

 

By every standard, the treatment Nigerians receive from some multinational service providers raises a simple but uncomfortable question: Why do the same companies that obey consumer-friendly regulations in other African countries behave differently in Nigeria?

Take MTN for example.

In South Africa, the country's communications regulator, ICASA, has directed MTN and Vodacom to stop allowing customers' unused data to expire. Under the new regulatory framework, unused data, voice minutes, and SMS automatically roll over at no additional cost once a bundle expires.

MTN and Vodacom did not accept the directive quietly. They challenged the regulator in court. Yet, while the legal battle continues, they are also facing penalties reportedly running into millions of rand for non-compliance. That is what happens when a regulator has the courage, authority, and political backing to defend consumers instead of corporations.

Ironically, this is happening in MTN's home country.

Now look at Kenya.

A lawyer instituted legal proceedings against Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom over the expiration of data bundles. Before the court could even deliver judgment, Safaricom abolished the expiry of its data, voice, and SMS bundles. The pressure from citizens and the legal system forced a change.

Now compare that with Nigeria.

Millions of subscribers continue to lose unused data every single day. There is no regulation compelling automatic rollover. There is no effective enforcement mechanism. Consumer advocacy groups write petitions, citizens complain endlessly on social media, and nothing changes. The companies simply continue with business as usual because there are little or no consequences.

The story is not different with DStv.

For years, MultiChoice repeatedly argued before Nigerian lawmakers that Pay-As-You-Go billing was technically impossible for satellite television.

Yet, in the same Nigeria, StarTimes has long offered flexible daily, weekly, and monthly subscription options.

Even more revealing, MultiChoice itself introduced a weekly DStv and GOtv package known as "Ka Weekie" in Uganda in 2025.

If it can be done elsewhere, and if competitors have already demonstrated that flexible subscription models are possible, then the issue was never technology.

It was about what each market was willing to tolerate.

Companies naturally adjust their behaviour according to the strength of institutions in every country. Where regulators are firm, companies comply. Where courts are active, companies respond. Where citizens organize and demand accountability, corporations listen.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria, many multinational companies have learned that weak enforcement often means maximum profit with minimum responsibility.

This should concern every Nigerian.

A nation of over 200 million people deserves consumer protection that matches its economic importance. Nigerians contribute enormously to the revenues of these multinational corporations. We deserve the same respect, fairness, and quality of service that consumers receive in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and other African countries.

The Federal Government, through its regulatory agencies, must strengthen consumer protection laws and enforce them without fear or favour. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the National Assembly must work together to ensure that consumers are no longer exploited through arbitrary policies that would never survive in jurisdictions with stronger oversight.

Among the reforms Nigerians should demand are:

• Automatic rollover of unused data, voice minutes, and SMS.
• Greater transparency in data usage and billing.
• Fair and flexible subscription options for pay television services.
• Strong penalties for anti-consumer practices.
• Regular public audits of telecom and pay-TV billing systems.
• Faster consumer complaint resolution backed by enforceable sanctions.

But government action alone is not enough.

Citizens also have responsibilities. We must move beyond complaining on social media. Consumer associations, civil society organizations, lawyers, and professional bodies should challenge unfair practices through the courts. Public interest litigation has transformed consumer rights in many countries; Nigeria should not be an exception.

Rights that are never demanded are rarely respected.

This is not a campaign against MTN, DStv, or any other company. It is a campaign for fairness, equality, and responsible regulation. The objective is simple: if these companies can offer better consumer protections elsewhere, they should not treat Nigerians as second-class customers.

The equation must be balanced.

Nigeria is Africa's largest market and one of the biggest sources of revenue for many multinational companies. We cannot continue to be the market where consumers pay the highest price for the weakest protection.

The standard should be the same everywhere.

Nigerian consumers deserve equal treatment, equal respect, and equal value.

Anything less is unacceptable.

By Comrade Michael Abu.