How Nigeria may save BlackBerry

BlackBerry device is becoming increasingly popuplar in Nigeria .  Information  from senior personnel inside Nigeria ’s GSM industry  show that  there were about about 2.4  million Blackberry devices in the country’s four GSM networks MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat, as at December 2011.  This is up from about 925,000  about a year ago.
Designed by Research-In-Motion USA Inc, the Blackberry was originally manufactured for accessing emails while on the move but has since become a reliable integrated wireless communications platform. As it catches on fast among Nigerians, National Mirror can now reveal that the Blackberry is becoming so addictive that owners may need to be weaned off them with treatment similar to that given to drug users.


 Investigation reveals that the demand for BB is on the increase throughout Nigeria. Nigerians now throng shops and phone companies daily requesting for BB, Blackberry phones are more secured when you send email especially, if you have the PIN number of the other Blackberry owner. The information and messages sent on Blackberry are encrypted and cannot be easily prone to being hacked as the information is shielded from possible online tracking. “The BlackBerry platform offers two communications solutions. The first is BlackBerry Internet Solution, which is designed for single individuals who want to access internet tools like email, social media, and web while on the move. 

Now, the BB has become a status symbol gadget in Nigeria as it has been turned into an index for measuring class status. National Mirror investigation reveals it is also being linked to criminal activities in the country. For instance, apart from its widespread use among business executives, political office holders and a number of celebrities in the country, some young Nigerian ladies have become so addicted to the use of the device that a minute parting with the gadget seems like dismembering them. Their addiction to the device and desire to go extra miles to own a Blackberry phone was captured in a Nollywood film titled: Blackberry Babes by Simony Pictures. The movie, which runs part 1 and part 2, is a hilarious exposition of the Nigerian reality and growing BB addiction.

It is the story of a group of university friends, all female, whose social and private lives are centred on the supposedly fascinating world of BB phones. Unable to fund their addiction, the girls rely on rich men to buy them the latest models. But phones, money and other treats come at a price: In return, the girls offer these men sex and/or companionship and the whole thing turns into a rather pathetic competition – the aim being to get the latest Blackberry model before everyone else and “flaunt” it wherever they go. The use of Blackberry phones as a tool for prostitution and other licentious activities is another negative development that has become a reality in Nigeria today.