By Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba
I am not a historian, but I have an unyielding passion for debates on history, leadership, and global policy. Just last week, I found myself in the middle of an intense discussion with my associates. A bosom friend and brother of mine, Sani Auwal Mudi, a historian by profession, argued passionately that Nigeria became a truly sovereign nation at independence in 1960. My brother Engr. Abdullahi Sa’idu Baba (Hafeez) countered, asserting that genuine national sovereignty only began with the return to democratic rule in 1999. As they both turned to me, patiently awaiting my verdict, my view was simple: neither of them was right. The global order has fundamentally shifted. We now inhabit a hyperdigital world powered by telecommunications and the internet. In my view, Nigeria’s true sovereignty did not arrive on a political calendar; it arrived in August 2003, the moment an indigenous telecommunication network was launched by a Nigerian, in Nigeria, and for Nigerians. That moment was the birth of Globacom.
Of course, Nigeria attained political independence in 1960, and the return to democracy in 1999 was another defining milestone. But sovereignty in the 21st century means more than political independence. It increasingly means having the capacity to communicate, innovate, build strategic infrastructure and participate in the global digital economy without excessive dependence on others.
This is where Globacom’s story becomes important. Founded by Nigerian business mogul and entrepreneur Chief Dr. Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr. Glo entered the Nigerian telecommunications market in 2003, when multinational operators already had a significant head start. MTN and Econet Wireless had been operating for two years and possessed substantial capital and established market positions. Yet a Nigerian owned company entered the field and not only survived but became a formidable competitor. That, in itself, was a powerful statement about Nigerian enterprise and our capacity to compete in strategic industries.
The introduction of per second billing was a defining example. At a time when Nigerians were largely billed by the minute, Glo introduced a different model that made telecommunications more accessible and forced greater competition in the market. For many Nigerians, it was more than a commercial innovation, it was proof that a Nigerian company could identify a problem affecting Nigerians and provide a solution that changed the industry.
But Glo’s contribution to Nigeria’s digital sovereignty goes beyond how Nigerians make calls. Its investment in Glo-1, the thousands of kilometres submarine fibre-optic cable linking Nigeria to Europe, was a much more profound statement of indigenous technological capability. The infrastructure did not make Nigeria completely independent of foreign digital systems, but it strengthened our connection to the global digital economy and demonstrated that an African company could undertake world class technological infrastructure on such a scale.
More importantly, the significance of Glo-1 extends beyond individual internet users. Its connectivity supports vital sectors of the economy, including banking, commerce, education, healthcare, manufacturing and oil and gas. This means that Glo’s infrastructure contributes not simply to communication but to the functioning of the wider Nigerian economy.
Glo’s evolution from a mobile network into a broader digital solutions provider further strengthens this argument. Its work in areas such as e-health, smart learning, industrial Internet of Things and cloud applications demonstrates how indigenous telecommunications capacity can become a platform for digital transformation across different sectors. Its continuing investment in fibre, network infrastructure and coverage also reflects the importance of domestic capacity in closing Nigeria’s digital divide.
Digital sovereignty does not mean shutting Nigeria away from the world. It means engaging with the world from a position of strength rather than helpless dependence, while ensuring that Nigerians are not merely consumers of technologies created elsewhere, but also owners, innovators and competitors in the industries shaping the future.
Glo’s contribution also has an economic dimension. Its continued reinvestment in telecommunications infrastructure and technological development demonstrates how Nigerian ownership in a strategic sector can build domestic capacity, create opportunities and keep more value within the Nigerian economy.
There is also a dimension of national confidence that should not be overlooked. During periods of tension between Nigeria and South Africa, particularly amid the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, the importance of indigenous African companies became even more apparent. The existence of strong indigenous Nigerian companies in strategic sectors matters particularly when relations with other countries become strained, it gives a nation greater economic confidence and reduces the risks associated with excessive external dependence. Glo did not cause or prevent those attacks, but its existence as a major Nigerian owned company represented something important: Nigeria had indigenous economic capacity of its own.
And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons from Glo’s journey. Sovereignty is not simply the ability to say that we are independent; it is the ability to build institutions and enterprises capable of standing on their own feet. Glo’s survival despite difficult economic conditions, changing technology and intense competition is itself a story of indigenous resilience. Its ambition has also extended beyond Nigeria, reflecting a pan African vision that Nigerian companies can compete not only at home but across the continent.
There is even a cultural dimension to this sovereignty. Through its support for Nigerian entertainment, sports, youth and cultural initiatives, Glo has helped provide platforms through which Nigerian talent and identity can be projected. In a globalised world, sovereignty is also about having the confidence and capacity to tell our own stories and showcase our own talent.
As Glo marks its 23rd anniversary, it is therefore worth celebrating not merely the longevity of a telecommunications brand, but the journey of an indigenous Nigerian enterprise that has contributed to our connectivity, digital infrastructure and economic confidence. Happy 23rd anniversary, Glo.
Nigeria’s political sovereignty was secured in 1960, and our democratic sovereignty was strengthened in 1999. Today, we must also secure our technological and digital sovereignty.
And perhaps that is the deeper meaning of Glo’s journey: in a world where data is power, connectivity is infrastructure and technology is influence, building and owning part of the infrastructure of the future is itself an expression of sovereignty.
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