So, @jayfolarin wrote an article brandishing Nigerians as ignorant individuals, presently undeserving of any form of good governance. OK. Because he mentioned at&t , i will assume he was typing from the US.

Let me first tell you what the minimum wage for US is:
United States minimum wage – $7.25 per hour/$1624 per month ¹. So, imagine an ordinary waitress earning $1624*200=N324,800, in Nigeria. Minimum wage in Nigeria is N18,000. So if the US government takes back 40% of over N320,000, whats bad about that?! Plus you can clearly see what your money is being used for, not to mention the numerous loans, social security plans, funds that the average US citizen enjoys.

According to Wikipedia, the average household income in the US is $51,939 ². Imagine an average household in Nigeria, with 4-6children earning $51,939*200=N10,387,800. This income combines the income of both spouses. Note the word ‘average’. N10.3 is the kind of money those living in big estates in Lekki make, not the amount a school teacher’s family make in Nigeria.


Now to the mobile data, i was going to write an article on this, but i will summarize here. Take for example, google fiber offered by google to select areas in the US. Google fiber offers speed up to 1gb/s, yes you heard that right 1gb per second browsing and download speed, and as low as 5mb per second depending on the plan you choose. To get google fiber setup for you and for the 5mb/sec speed costs a one-time, $300, just once, no subsequent fees. What is that to someone that earns $1624 in a month?! The mobile carriers offer an average speed of 10mb/sec at a higher cost.
My glo comnection rarely surpasses 200k/sec during the day, and that's when it's good. I used to use etisalat, 1mb/sec, max but for steep prices.

Those defending our network carriers will mention lack of constant stable electricity, as the reason for their high charges and incompetence in delivering stable and moderately fast internet services. I tried downloading with glo yesterday afternoon, it was hell, you wont believe i saw 500b/s, the highest it got to was 40kb/s. I will list competitive advantages that Nigeria internet service providers have over those in the US:

1. Less tax by the Nigerian government.
2. Cheap labour.
3. Less bureacracy.
4. Cheaper cost cause of worse technology. We are still on 2g, and 3g, when the world has moved past 4g to lte. Samsumg is working on 5gb/s capable wifi, which will be available by 2020.
Have you wondered that Mtn, airtel and glo (etisalat wasnt in nigeria then), were making money before internet browsing became mainstream in Nigeria. They were making profit when they werent internet service providers. What upgrades did they make to warrant charging customers N8k for 6gig, i am looking at you etisalat.

I'm university graduate, awaiting Nysc call-up, I started a business in school, selling smartphones, why should the government charge my meagre savings. Isnt this stealing?! The US government gives students loans not charges. The first time i heard of lower charge/price for students was at a cinema in Lagos, it was weird, but since then my eyes has opened to how almost all big businesses in the US and around the world almost always have special plans/prices for students.


The US did not tax its way to good governance. Contrary to what you would have us believe. Plus i'd be happy to pay 40-50% of my minimum wage as an ordinary watress, with all the attendant benefits i listed earlier. We are not illiterates in Nigeria, when you look at tax, you have to look at in terms of the country's GDP. In 2010 taxes collected by federal, state and municipal governments amounted to 24.8% of GDP. In the OECD, only Chile and Mexico taxed less as a share of GDP. ³

In the US there, their are numerous venture capitalist fund and loans to start your business, the only one that has helped a few thousand Nigerians, youwin, has been shutdown, without appropriate reasons. Shutdown just because its an initiative of a former government and you want me to give the same government my hardearned money. www.harrys.com sells cheap, quality shaving sticks, shaving cream, it got over $10m investment to challenge the likes of gullet. www.warbyparker.com sells eyeglasses and sunglasses, it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and you want to defend Nigerian telecoms, who think sponsoring beauty pageant and singing competitions is the right way to give back to the people. I go on and on about successful US 'small businesses', I follow them that much! Just go to www.shopify.com and see what I'm talking about. Do you know how many totally new business ideas I have on my phone with no capital to start?! I'm hustling day and night to get capital and you want to five it to a government that budgets billions for cars and sees nothing wrong in junketeering. A lot of senators in the US have destroyed their careers by simply going on unnecessary trips with taxpayers money.

Electricity isn't rocket science, South-Africans have stable electricity and aren't paying millions for it.

Finally, @jayfolarin, please tell us how much you make in a month. Every Tom, dick and harry american on instagram owns an iphone 6/6s as if its pure water.

Meanwhile, I just but 'purewater' for N10.

1. Google 'US minimum wage'
2. Google 'us household income'
3. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_the_United_States

Lalasticlala, Seun. Rebuttal with facts. Gracias

@OP why you come dey try explain give the idiot that called a zoo a paradise?
i dey vex for you oooo

GodBless you for this wonderful write up....some asshole we just sit somewhere and start writing rubbish

fijiano202:
GodBless you for this wonderful write up....some asshole we just sit somewhere and start writing rubbish

Gracias.

I couldn't stomach that post, had to just counter it. Too much ignorance in it, plus the previous rebuttal by another Nairalander did little to counter his points.

Mynd44, lalasticlala, seun, ishilove, oam4j

Can this be replaced with the other rebuttal thread on Frontpage. Gracias