By Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba
It is a well-known fact that impact is not only measured by what exists, but by imagining what would be missing if it did not. If Globacom (Glo) had never entered Nigeria’s telecom sector, prices would likely have adjusted more slowly, competition would have been weaker, and access to affordable data might not have expanded at the same pace. But beyond affordability and efficiency, there is a more human and palpable indicator of impact, a phrase born in lecture halls and campus corridors: “We need some oxygen.”
At first glance, the slogan sounds dramatic. Yet on Nigerian campuses, it carries a precise and practical meaning. When students say, “Guys, we need some oxygen,” they are not talking about air. They are asking a colleague to turn on their Glo hotspot. It is a coded language, creative, humorous, and deeply revealing. “Oxygen” has become synonymous with Glo data.
Why oxygen? Because for today’s student, internet access is life-support for academic survival. Assignments are submitted online. Journal articles are downloaded from digital libraries. Class groups function on WhatsApp. Research discussions happen in shared online spaces. Without data, academic work stalls. With efficient data, ideas move.
The slogan did not emerge randomly. It emerged from lived experience, affordability and efficiency. Glo’s competitive pricing means one student can purchase a bundle and share it with many others. In classrooms across Nigeria, it is common to see a small cluster of students huddled around laptops while one phone provides the signal. The hotspot becomes communal infrastructure. Knowledge flows because data flows.
Interestingly, the creativity does not stop at “oxygen.” In some departments and facilities, students have gone further to coin a new word: “Gloxygen.” By this they mean the special kind of oxygen that comes specifically from Glo, a playful fusion of Glo and oxygen, symbolizing dependable, affordable data that keeps academic life alive. In other circles, they even speak of a process called “Gloxygenation.” The term humorously describes the act of turning on a Glo hotspot so that others can connect and “receive life.” It is their scientific metaphor for restoring digital vitality before a presentation, an online submission, or a group assignment. Nothing is impossible with students when it comes to creativity. As a lecturer, I am fully aware of how strongly they crave stable and affordable connectivity, and how often that craving points in one direction, Glo.
Efficiency strengthens the metaphor. Students rely on Glo not just because it is affordable, but because it performs. WhatsApp calls go through clearly. Messages deliver instantly. Browsing remains stable enough for research and downloads. When a network consistently allows smooth connectivity, it earns trust. That trust transforms into culture, and culture produces slogans, new vocabularies and shared identity.
From a human development perspective, the phrase “we need oxygen” signals more than brand preference. It reflects digital dependency in modern education. Affordable internet reduces the marginal cost of learning. It narrows inequality between students from different income backgrounds. It enables collaboration. It reduces academic frustration. In essence, it simplified access to knowledge.
If Glo did not exist, would this slogan exist? Possibly not. Higher data costs would reduce sharing. Less competitive pricing would limit bundle sizes. Hotspot culture might shrink. The symbolic “oxygen” would become scarce. And when oxygen becomes scarce, productivity declines and mental fatigue is likely.
What makes the slogan powerful is its simplicity. Students could have said, “Please turn on your hotspot.” Instead, they say, “We need oxygen.” It is witty, coded, efficient just like the data service they are requesting. It communicates urgency without embarrassment. It signals community without complaint. It reflects how deeply embedded affordable connectivity has become in campus life.
In economic language, Glo intensified competition and increased consumer surplus. In campus language, it supplies oxygen. And when an entire generation equates your service with the air they breathe for learning, when they invent words like “Gloxygen” and speak of “Gloxygenation”, that is not merely market penetration. That is cultural integration. That is positive impact.
At Bayero University Kano, particularly around the Mami Markets and the student village areas of both the Old and New Campus, the pattern becomes even clearer. If you see a cluster of students gathered under one large umbrella, you will often notice the green and white signage nearby, Glo SIM registration points and promotional stands offering guidance on new and cheaper bundles. The presence is visible, accessible, and woven into student daily life.
Sometimes, the strongest evidence of impact is not found in financial reports or subscriber statistics. It is found in everyday speech. And on Nigerian campuses, the speech is clear:
“We need some oxygen….”
Dr. Baba writes from Kano, and can be reached via drssbaba@yahoo.com
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