Globacom, popularly known as Glo, is marking its 23rd anniversary as Nigeria’s telecommunications industry enters a new phase where mobile data, network quality and digital services are becoming more important than traditional voice calls.
Glo’s anniversary comes more than two decades after Nigeria opened its telecoms market to private mobile operators. The country issued its first GSM licences in 2001, while Globacom received its digital mobile licence in 2003 and later launched its services to Nigerians.
Since then, the industry has changed significantly. Mobile phones have moved from being mainly communication tools to becoming essential for banking, business, entertainment, education, social media and access to online services.
The latest figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show just how important internet services have become. Nigeria’s internet subscriber base increased by about 2.67 million in May, reaching approximately 157 million.
Globacom accounted for around 1.2 million of the increase, with its internet subscriber base rising from about 15.5 million to 16.8 million during the month.
Airtel Nigeria added approximately 1.07 million internet subscribers, while MTN Nigeria recorded an increase of about 383,000. T2 Mobile, however, remained at roughly 803,000 subscribers.
The numbers show that competition among telecom operators is increasingly centred on who can provide customers with reliable and affordable internet access.
At its anniversary event in Victoria Island, Lagos, Globacom unveiled the theme “Never Settle For Less”, presenting the campaign as a reflection of its plans for the company’s next stage of growth.
The company also used the event to showcase new digital services. One of the major introductions was an upgraded Glo Café self-service application, which includes Gloria, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant designed to respond to customer questions and recommend available offers.
According to the company, Gloria can communicate in English, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, French and Spanish, giving customers more options when interacting with the service.
Glo also announced new and improved data and tariff packages, including its Magic Data Bundles and an enhanced Talkmasta “6 for 6” offer.
The company said Magic Data Bundles would provide customers with guaranteed data alongside bonus allocations. Under the upgraded Talkmasta offer, customers can receive six free minutes and 100MB of data for every six minutes of calls.
Beyond tariffs, network capacity remains a major part of the competition. Globacom said it had expanded its spectrum holdings in the 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands and deployed carrier aggregation technology to combine spectrum resources and increase data capacity for compatible devices.
The shift reflects the changing nature of Nigeria’s telecom market. When Glo entered the industry, rapid growth was largely driven by voice calls and basic mobile services.
Today, smartphones, streaming platforms, social media, digital payments and online businesses have made mobile internet central to everyday life.
For Glo, its 23rd anniversary is therefore more than a celebration of its time in the market. It represents an opportunity to reposition the company for an industry where data capacity, digital innovation and network performance are becoming the main drivers of competition.
As Nigeria’s telecom sector moves deeper into its second quarter-century, operators that invest in stronger networks and useful digital services will increasingly determine how Nigerians connect, work and do business online.
