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The Birth Of GSM In Nigeria: Who Made The First Call? - Phones (2) - Nairaland 491s5a

The Birth Of GSM In Nigeria: Who Made The First Call? (28690 Views)

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aworatak: 8:16pm On May 07
happney65:


Person wey don smoke igbo. They talk as if some of us were born yesternight.
😂😂
SisterAnn(f): 8:46pm On May 07
happney65:


Mobile phone calls in the 80's and 90's in Nigeria? Where? How? Abi landlines?

The GSM network was introduced to Nigeria in 2001 and not before. Before wè had only Landlines being controlled by Nitel
What about Nought nine Nought cellular phones?
SisterAnn(f): 8:48pm On May 07
nairalanda1:


There were mobile phones. One of my father's colleagues had one as early as 1997, and my dad also met someone who owned one as early as 1996. They were not GSM phones by the way.

Mtel was the company that ran those mobile phones and it had been around since the 80's. It was a subsidary of Nitel. It eventually became a player in the GSM revolution before it collapsed and eventually resurrected as an internet service provider, which it remains today.
That's the 090 thuraya cell phones bah?

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ARISHEM: 10:09pm On May 07
I pro chased Econet out of Nigeria
frankmoney(m): 10:09pm On May 07
omonnakoda:


Obasanjo just happened to be the President at a time when that specific technology came

All this praise singing is ridiculous

He did not invent the mobile phone technology

We do not praise any president for being there when Land telephones, electricity came to Nigeria , When Television came, When Flushing toilets came , when water started flowing from taps, when the motor car came,

These are ubiquitous technological advancements. whose time has come
God bless you. With or without obasanjo. GSM would have still made its way to Nigeria.....

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geoworldedu: 10:11pm On May 07
omonnakoda:


Obasanjo just happened to be the President at a time when that specific technology came

All this praise singing is ridiculous

He did not invent the mobile phone technology

We do not praise any president for being there when Land telephones, electricity came to Nigeria , When Television came, When Flushing toilets came , when water started flowing from taps, when the motor car came,

These are ubiquitous technological advancements. whose time has come

Some other technologies are around, which one has Tinubu Eleriibu brought except hunger and stealing? Give kudos to whom kudos is due and colos to whom it is due jare.

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Sebocious(m): 10:11pm On May 07
happney65:
Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Obasanjo alone, because of the restart of Telecoms sector in 2001,and improvement it brought into our daily lives and business efficiency, reduction in travel time, GDP grew by 15.3%.

The Nigerian Economy took a 360 degree positive turnaround

Obasanjo achieved that and more. But these useless people who have absolutey nothing to offer except to improvish the Nigerian People and play nothing but ethnic politics.

Till tommorow,They cannot lace Obasanjo's shoes

You left out "Aremu"

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Realdeals(m): 10:17pm On May 07
Econet Buddies was the most popular package then
Onewazobia(m): 10:18pm On May 07
omonnakoda:


Obasanjo just happened to be the President at a time when that specific technology came

All this praise singing is ridiculous

He did not invent the mobile phone technology

We do not praise any president for being there when Land telephones, electricity came to Nigeria , When Television came, When Flushing toilets came , when water started flowing from taps, when the motor car came,

These are ubiquitous technological advancements. whose time has come

Somebody pushed DSTV out of our soil while the other brought in herdsmen, the one who brought herdsmen can resist GSM from antecedent
MaziObinnaokija: 10:18pm On May 07
grin years back somebody go send u credit card and u go sell the card for cash grin sad grin.20 per call undecided

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tunapawizzy: 10:20pm On May 07
MTN, thunder fire you small. The kind of emotional damage you inflicted on me in 2003? Legendary. Generational. Spiritual.

See ehn, my current Naija number? I’m never letting it go. Not in this life. That number has suffered. It has history. It has trauma. It has receipts.

Back then, MTN said “bonanza!” like it was a blessing. SIM cards alone were going for 9600naira—and I’m talking saved money, borrowed money, stolen-from-change money, and ‘God will provide’ kind of money. The queue at MTN Maitama? Biblical. You’d think they were distributing visa slots to United States. We even picked tickets like it was Holy Communion.

Eventually—miraculously—I got my SIM. A little yellow plastic chip that had no home, no phone, just vibes and hope. That SIM slept in envelopes, wallets, under pillows, and probably in my socks once or twice. For 14 full months, it wandered the Earth like a technological Moses. Until—glory be to Jah—I finally raised enough funds to buy a Nokia 3310, the indestructible brick of dreams. My SIM had found its forever home. And that was when I knew: this number must never be lost. It's not just a phone number—it’s a survivor.

So MTN, despite the pain, despite the robbery, that number you sold me, I will love it till I die.

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Onewazobia(m): 10:21pm On May 07
MICHEALADEX:



Talking nonsense, what abacha had completed before his sudden demise.

Really? Hmmmm

DSTV comes to mind
Basicend: 10:22pm On May 07
OBJ.

He is just amongst the remaining few of the elders that believes in one-Nigeria.

He is a true Patriot and pan-African leader.

A leader that made his people have access to fair and good standard of living.

A very great leader.

1 Like

Mubiola360: 10:22pm On May 07
happney65:
Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Obasanjo alone, because of the restart of Telecoms sector in 2001,and improvement it brought into our daily lives and business efficiency, reduction in travel time, GDP grew by 15.3%.

The Nigerian Economy took a 360 degree positive turnaround

Obasanjo achieved that and more. But these useless people who have absolutey nothing to offer except to improvish the Nigerian People and play nothing but ethnic politics.

Till tommorow,They cannot lace Obasanjo's shoes
dey play. How much was sim card then? How much was phone, gave MTN 10 years tax holiday drspite huge profit thry raked.
Obasanjo crippled NNPC, brought Ghana must go to The National assembly, Made fun of ekection by meriting selection. You can't become a governor without his go ahead. The only person he couldn't giggle was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ask Obasanjo where is the $16Billion ( 25 Trillion naira) for power sector ? Sold over 70% of government asset to family and friends at zero profit price. Acquired land from states for Operation Feed the Nation now Obasanjo Farm Nigeria.
Dey play o .
Jagabanarmy: 10:23pm On May 07
happney65:
Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Obasanjo alone, because of the restart of Telecoms sector in 2001,and improvement it brought into our daily lives and business efficiency, reduction in travel time, GDP grew by 15.3%.

The Nigerian Economy took a 360 degree positive turnaround

Obasanjo achieved that and more. But these useless people who have absolutey nothing to offer except to improvish the Nigerian People and play nothing but ethnic politics.

Till tommorow,They cannot lace Obasanjo's shoes
You are right including the failed tinubulized president
Gumelize: 10:23pm On May 07
I made the first call. Ask google for proper information.


Just kidding. Things have really changed and thank God for price slash.
lexy2014: 10:26pm On May 07
omonnakoda:


Obasanjo just happened to be the President at a time when that specific technology came

All this praise singing is ridiculous

He did not invent the mobile phone technology

We do not praise any president for being there when Land telephones, electricity came to Nigeria , When Television came, When Flushing toilets came , when water started flowing from taps, when the motor car came,

These are ubiquitous technological advancements. whose time has come

where did this "specific technology" come from and how was it deployed in nigeria?
casualobserver: 10:26pm On May 07
Great100000:


Source: https://www.pulse.ng/articles/lifestyle/first-gsm-call-in-nigeria-2025050512243100721

That’s not how these things work. Some unknown telecom engineers would have tested that the network was live and stable by making not just one but a series of phone calls (probably hundreds) before giving the go ahead to their boss to call the NCC boss. Therefore some unknown engineer somewhere made the 1st GSM call. He knows himself but he won’t get the glory.


At best you can say he made the 1st official call.

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donbenie(m): 10:26pm On May 07
happney65:


He be like say they want to tell us another story again o. The US first used mobile phones in 1973. Wè got ours 28years later. So why didnt wè get it earlier or two years later? Or you were in Kosovo when Abacha's minister of comminication once said "Telephone isnt for the poor"
Shuke

"The first public mobile phone call was made in the US on April 3, 1973, by Martin Cooper of Motorola."
Oga rest.
GSM technology came out about around Obasanjo's regime.
Stop confusing GSM technology with mobile telephony , they are not one and the same thing.
kenben: 10:27pm On May 07
The first GSM call was made under Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar during Nigeria 99
lexy2014: 10:27pm On May 07
Mubiola360:
dey play. How much was sim card then? How much was phone, gave MTN 10 years tax holiday drspite huge profit thry raked.
Obasanjo crippled NNPC, brought Ghana must go to The National assembly, Made fun of ekection by meriting selection. You can't become a governor without his go ahead. The only person he couldn't giggle was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ask Obasanjo where is the $16Billion ( 25 Trillion naira) for power sector ? Sold over 70% of government asset to family and friends at zero profit price. Acquired land from states for Operation Feed the Nation now Obasanjo Farm Nigeria.
Dey play o .

how did obasanjo cripple NNPC?
Looking4you: 10:28pm On May 07
Mobile communications usherd in a new level of challenges in of crime
donbenie(m): 10:29pm On May 07
lexy2014:


where did this "specific technology" come from and how was it deployed in nigeria?
It came from the Oyinbo,who it want come from before?
You all should stop confusing GSM technology with mobile telephony,they are not one and the same thing.
lexy2014: 10:30pm On May 07
donbenie:
It came from the Oyinbo,who it want come from before?
You all should stop confusing GSM technology with mobile telephony,they are not one and the same thing.

1. where (not WHO) did this "specific technology" come from?

2. how was it deployed in nigeria?
NewHe: 10:30pm On May 07
Obj
AmalaAtiEwedu: 10:30pm On May 07
happney65:
Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Obasanjo alone, because of the restart of Telecoms sector in 2001,and improvement it brought into our daily lives and business efficiency, reduction in travel time, GDP grew by 15.3%.

The Nigerian Economy took a 360 degree positive turnaround

Obasanjo achieved that and more. But these useless people who have absolutey nothing to offer except to improvish the Nigerian People and play nothing but ethnic politics.

Till tommorow,They cannot lace Obasanjo's shoes
Tinubu till 2031 cool
lexy2014: 10:31pm On May 07
donbenie:
Oga rest.
GSM technology came out about around Obasanjo's regime.
Stop confusing GSM technology with mobile telephony , they are not one and the same thing.

are you saying that it was in 2001 that GSM technology was invented and there was no evidence of GSM technology anywhere in the world before 2001?
donbenie(m): 10:31pm On May 07
kenben:
The first GSM call was made under Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar during Nigeria 99
Liar,liar.
Pants on fire.
It be like you think say everyone was born yesterday like you?
donbenie(m): 10:33pm On May 07
lexy2014:


are you saying that it was in 2001 that GSM technology was invented and there was no evidence of GSM technology anywhere in the world before 2001?
It was an emerging technology,of course other countries were already rolling it out.
Many west African countries were already on it before Nigeria.

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casualobserver: 10:33pm On May 07
kenben:
The first GSM call was made under Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar during Nigeria 99


The 1st GSM license was granted by Mohammed Azika who only became minister of communication in June 1999. The lGSM licenses were awarded in 2001. Abubakar left office May 1999

If you were around in 1999, you will know Abulsalam was too busy chopping.

1 Like

lexy2014: 10:36pm On May 07
donbenie:
It was an emerging technology,of course other countries were already rolling it out.
Many west African countries were already on it before Nigeria.

that is not what I asked you.

are you saying that it was in 2001 that GSM technology was invented and there was no evidence of GSM technology anywhere in the world before 2001?
AmalaAtiEwedu: 10:37pm On May 07
gbaskiboy:
Omo for this life just take it easy, life na turn by turn. If they have told me that mobile will be accessible today I will ever deny it. But today, it is everywhere with almost every family in Nigeria have one.

Below is the Sagem My X-2 that got many of us frenzied but today no one dare to use as it becomes obsolete.
Then, MyX5 was sagem's first MyX series phone to have an infrared port grin

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