By Lanre Basamta, Senior Strategist & Analyst

In Nigeria’s informal economy, connectivity does not merely enable conversation; it gives millions of people access to customers, payments, information and, ultimately, survival.

A woman selling fabrics in Onitsha may never describe herself as a digital entrepreneur. Yet customers request product pictures on WhatsApp, transfer payments to her account and contact dispatch riders through the same phone.

A barber in Abeokuta may not own a website, but his status updates showcase new hairstyles, announce available slots and attract customers to his shop. A caterer in Uyo may have no formal advertising budget, yet a modest data bundle allows her to post menus, receive deposits and transform a family kitchen into a commercial enterprise.

This is why the economics of telecommunications should never be discussed solely in the language of towers, spectrum, market share and average revenue per user. Those metrics matter, but they do not capture the full human value of access.

In Nigeria, a recharge card is sometimes a business permit. A data bundle is sometimes working capital. A reliable phone line is often the only bridge between talent and income.

Globacom’s historic emphasis on affordability belongs within this economic conversation. Its legacy of challenging pricing conventions helped move mobile communication from an elite privilege to an everyday utility. The effect was cumulative. Cheaper access did not simply help people make more calls; it lowered the cost of participating in the emerging digital marketplace.

It enabled students to search for opportunities, traders to confirm payments, artisans to remain accessible and young creators to distribute their work without first seeking the approval of traditional gatekeepers.

Nigeria’s economy is overwhelmingly powered by the non-oil sector, and its growth increasingly depends on the movement of information. Traders need price intelligence. Drivers need location information. Freelancers need client briefs. Farmers need market access. Microbusinesses need payment confirmation.

Connectivity sits quietly beneath these interactions, making its role easy to underestimate. Yet when networks fail, data becomes unaffordable or phone lines become unreliable, economic activity is disrupted, particularly at the most vulnerable end of the market.

As Glo marks 23 years of operations, the opportunity is to renew the original social contract behind its disruption. Affordability must now be matched with dependable quality, simple digital products, useful SME services and customer care that respects the time of people who cannot afford repeated inconvenience.

The next stage of inclusion will not be achieved through cheap access alone. It will require value that is easy to understand and reliable enough for people to build livelihoods around.

The national lesson is clear. Telecommunications is not a luxury industry operating alongside the real economy. It is part of the real economy.

Every affordable, dependable connection expands the market. Every small business brought online enlarges the tax base, the employment base and the pool of Nigerian possibility.

The recharge card sold in a roadside kiosk may look insignificant, but what it unlocks can be economically enormous.