THE ROLE OF GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES IN SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISES: AN IMPETUS FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

It is a common phenomenon to see hawkers of Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) services in every nook and cranny of Nigerian streets, markets, schools and other busy places transacting telecommunication services. This is consequent upon GSM revolution witnessed in Nigeria more than a decade ago. The study specifically investigated contributions of GSM services to small scale enterprises (SSEs) and how the small scale traders perceived benefits and challenges thereof. Merton’s model of manifest and latent function was adopted. The study was conducted in Ibadan Main City (MC) and Less City (LC). Descriptive design was used. A sample of 40 respondents was selected purposively. Qualitative method of data collection and analysis was used while in-depth interviews served as instrument of data collection. Respondents in MC and LC described GSM services as main source of economic empowerment, although hawkers in MC were more committed to business than those in LC. Hawkers in MC preferred sales of bulk recharge cards to call centres. In LC, hawkers were engaged in both call centres and sales of recharge cards, though their business investments were relatively small. Hawkers in MC and LC complained bitterly about incessant network failure and this really affected volume of their sales. GSM services now engage unemployed youths, literate and non literate, graduates across board (tertiary, secondary and primary). Apart from hawkers, there are now GSM technicians self employed in the sector. It is imperative that government and other stakeholders in the sector should work hand in hand to remove impediments that hamper gains to consumers.