Mr. Abdulfatah Aliyu, Vice Chairman of the Abuja GSM Village, says the rising cost of living and inflation have significantly altered consumer behaviour towards technology and mobile gadgets.
Aliyu told reporters on Wednesday in Abuja that Nigerians now prioritise gadget repairs over buying new devices.
According to him, many Nigerians previously preferred to replace their handsets whenever they developed problems.
“As it is now, the economy is not what we expected, so consumers have had to set their scale of preferences,” he said.
“Before spending money, you must prioritise and ensure it is something you really need. If you have a phone worth N500,000 and it has a minor problem, you will not easily abandon it for a new one.
“You would rather fix it because a N500,000 phone can still do almost everything a one-million-naira phone can do. So why not repair it? That is why we are seeing a lot of repairs these days.”
Aliyu explained that the most common repairs at the hub involve damaged screens and charging ports.
He attributed the widespread damage to negligence, accidental drops, and improper handling by children.
“Depending on how you use it, a device will serve you for a very long time if handled well. Some parents give their children phones to play with, and because the children don’t know how to properly insert the USB cable, they end up damaging the port,” he said.
He also noted that the high cost of brand-new spare parts has popularised the use of genuine used (fairly used) components.
“Some new spare parts are very expensive, so we use good original parts from other phones. At the end of the day, the customer is happy because they are getting a genuine part,” he said.
Aliyu advised technicians to always maintain transparency by informing clients when alternative parts are being used.
The Abuja GSM Village is a major technology hub dedicated to the sale and maintenance of digital gadgets.
