1 - Reaching Critical Mass in Nigeria’s Telephone Industry
Corresponding Author(s) : Chuka Onwumechili
Revue africaine des médias,
Vol. 13 No 1 (2005): Revue africaine des médias, Volume 13, n° 1, 2005
Résumé
La brusque et rapide croissance au niveau de l’accès téléphonique au Nigeria soulève des questions cruciales à l’endroit des universitaires des télécommunications. L’accès aux téléphones dans ce pays est demeuré plutôt marginal vers
la fin du vingtième siècle, avec un taux de télé densité bien en deçà des 1 : 100 pour un pays d’environ 130 millions d’habitants (Ajayi, Salawu et Raji 1999). Aujourd’hui, environ 10 millions de Nigérians ont accès au téléphone, augmentant
ainsi la télé densité à 13:100 en à peine cinq ans ! Les taux de croissance dépassent actuellement les 100 pour cent par an. Que s’est-il donc passé ? Comment expliquer ce revirement dans l’industrie du téléphone ? Est-ce qu’une masse critique a pu être atteinte ? Le taux de croissance peut-il se maintenir ? Cet article analyse toutes ces questions en se servant de la théorie de la masse critique comme cadre d’analyse. L’auteur conclut qu’une masse critique d’usagers a été constituée dans les centres urbains et que l’accès serait même proche du point de saturation. En outre, l’article révèle que beaucoup d’efforts restent à faire, afin de réaliser le même taux de croissance dans les zones rurales.
Mots-clés
Télécharger la référence bibliographique
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)BibTeX
- Adekanmbi, D., 1999, ‘It’s like a Jungle’, The News (Lagos), September 7. (http:// www.africanews.org).
- Ajakaye, T., 2005, ‘MTN Nigeria Earns N119 Billion in 6 Months’, This Day (Ni- geria), November 24. (http://www.ThisDayonline.com/).
- Ajayi, G., Salawu, R. and Raji T., 1999, ‘Nigeria: After a Century of Telecommunica- tions, What Next?’ in E. Noam, ed., Telecommunications in Africa, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 163–177.
- Aragba-Akpore, S., 1999, ‘Six Million Queue for Telephone Lines’, The Guardian (Nigeria), September 7. (http:// www.ngrguardiannews.com).
- BMI-TechKnowledge, 2001, ‘Telecommunications in Nigeria: A Lot of Funerals and Few Weddings’, July 31. (http://www.bmi-t.com.za).
- Granovetter, M., 1978, ‘Threshold Models of Collective Behavior’, American Jour- nal of Sociology, Vol. 83, No. 6, pp. 1420–1443.
- Hardin, R., 1982, Collective Action, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Kubeyinje, K., 1998, ‘Commission Revokes Licenses’, Business Day (South Africa), June 1. (http://www.Bday.co.za/98).
- Markus, L., 1987, ‘Toward a “Critical Mass” Theory of Interactive Media: Universal Access, Interdependence, and Diffusion’, Communication Research, Vol. 14, pp. 491–511.
- Markus, L., 1990, ‘Toward a “Critical Mass” Theory of Interactive Media’, in J. Fulk and C. Steinfield, eds., Organizations and Communication technology, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. pp. 194–218.
- Ndukwe, E., 2004, ‘Connecting the Next Ten Million People in Nigeria’, Paper presented at the Nigerian telecommunications summit, Abuja, Nigeria, No- vember 1.
- Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 2005, Trends in Telecommunica- tions Markets in Nigeria, 2003–2004, Abuja: NCC.
- Nwankpa, E., 1999, ‘Govt Slashes Phone Subscription Fee to N20,000’, The Guard- ian (Nigeria), August 26. (http:// www.Ngrguardiannews.com/).
- Ojo, A., 2005, ‘Telecoms: The Past is Another Country’, New Age (Nigeria), Janu- ary 1. (http://www. Newage-online.com/).
- Oliver, P. and Marwell, G., 1988, ‘The Paradox of Group Size in Collective Action: A Theory of the
- Critical Mass, II’, American Sociological Review, Vol. 53, pp. 1–8.
- Oliver, P., Marwell, G. and Teixeira, R., 1985, ‘A Theory of Critical Mass: Interde- pendence, Group Heterogeneity, and the Production of Collective Action’, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 91, No. 3, pp. 522–556.
- Olson, M., 1965, The Logic of Collective Action, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
- Onwumechili, C., 2001, ‘Dream or Reality: Providing Universal Access to Basic Telecommunications in Nigeria?’ Telecommunications Policy, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 219–231.
- Onwumechili, C., 2003, Reform, Organizational Players, and Technological De- velopments in African Telecommunications: An Update, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.
- Rogers, E., 1983, Diffusion of Innovations, New York: The Free Press.
- Rogers, E., 1991, ‘The “Critical Mass” in the Diffusion of the Interactive Tech- nologies in Organizations’, The Information Systems Research Challenge: Survey Research Methods, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
- Wogu, U., 1999, ‘FG may Reduce Cost of Telephone Services’, The Guardian (Nigeria), August 14. (http: //www.Ngrguardiannews.com/).
- World Development Indicators, 2005, August. (www.//devdata.worldbank.org). World Factbook,, 2005.
- (http://www.cia.gov/cia/ publications/ factbook/ geos/ni.html).
Les références
Adekanmbi, D., 1999, ‘It’s like a Jungle’, The News (Lagos), September 7. (http:// www.africanews.org).
Ajakaye, T., 2005, ‘MTN Nigeria Earns N119 Billion in 6 Months’, This Day (Ni- geria), November 24. (http://www.ThisDayonline.com/).
Ajayi, G., Salawu, R. and Raji T., 1999, ‘Nigeria: After a Century of Telecommunica- tions, What Next?’ in E. Noam, ed., Telecommunications in Africa, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 163–177.
Aragba-Akpore, S., 1999, ‘Six Million Queue for Telephone Lines’, The Guardian (Nigeria), September 7. (http:// www.ngrguardiannews.com).
BMI-TechKnowledge, 2001, ‘Telecommunications in Nigeria: A Lot of Funerals and Few Weddings’, July 31. (http://www.bmi-t.com.za).
Granovetter, M., 1978, ‘Threshold Models of Collective Behavior’, American Jour- nal of Sociology, Vol. 83, No. 6, pp. 1420–1443.
Hardin, R., 1982, Collective Action, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Kubeyinje, K., 1998, ‘Commission Revokes Licenses’, Business Day (South Africa), June 1. (http://www.Bday.co.za/98).
Markus, L., 1987, ‘Toward a “Critical Mass” Theory of Interactive Media: Universal Access, Interdependence, and Diffusion’, Communication Research, Vol. 14, pp. 491–511.
Markus, L., 1990, ‘Toward a “Critical Mass” Theory of Interactive Media’, in J. Fulk and C. Steinfield, eds., Organizations and Communication technology, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. pp. 194–218.
Ndukwe, E., 2004, ‘Connecting the Next Ten Million People in Nigeria’, Paper presented at the Nigerian telecommunications summit, Abuja, Nigeria, No- vember 1.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 2005, Trends in Telecommunica- tions Markets in Nigeria, 2003–2004, Abuja: NCC.
Nwankpa, E., 1999, ‘Govt Slashes Phone Subscription Fee to N20,000’, The Guard- ian (Nigeria), August 26. (http:// www.Ngrguardiannews.com/).
Ojo, A., 2005, ‘Telecoms: The Past is Another Country’, New Age (Nigeria), Janu- ary 1. (http://www. Newage-online.com/).
Oliver, P. and Marwell, G., 1988, ‘The Paradox of Group Size in Collective Action: A Theory of the
Critical Mass, II’, American Sociological Review, Vol. 53, pp. 1–8.
Oliver, P., Marwell, G. and Teixeira, R., 1985, ‘A Theory of Critical Mass: Interde- pendence, Group Heterogeneity, and the Production of Collective Action’, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 91, No. 3, pp. 522–556.
Olson, M., 1965, The Logic of Collective Action, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Onwumechili, C., 2001, ‘Dream or Reality: Providing Universal Access to Basic Telecommunications in Nigeria?’ Telecommunications Policy, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 219–231.
Onwumechili, C., 2003, Reform, Organizational Players, and Technological De- velopments in African Telecommunications: An Update, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Rogers, E., 1983, Diffusion of Innovations, New York: The Free Press.
Rogers, E., 1991, ‘The “Critical Mass” in the Diffusion of the Interactive Tech- nologies in Organizations’, The Information Systems Research Challenge: Survey Research Methods, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Wogu, U., 1999, ‘FG may Reduce Cost of Telephone Services’, The Guardian (Nigeria), August 14. (http: //www.Ngrguardiannews.com/).
World Development Indicators, 2005, August. (www.//devdata.worldbank.org). World Factbook,, 2005.
(http://www.cia.gov/cia/ publications/ factbook/ geos/ni.html).