22/01/2026
There's something grossly astonishing about mega companies and dominant business entities at the national level, operating especially in SE, Nigeria.
There is a distinct "tier" system within their physical presence that explains why you often meet a dead end at local offices. Most of the physical offices are likely Franchise Outlets or Connect Centers. Their operational mandate is restricted to retail activities: basic device troubleshooting. They do not have the administrative authority or the specific documentation required for certain infrastructures.
In a preliminary proposal to Mobile Telecommunications Network HQ in Lagos for specific services of serious concern, organization policy states that one is expected to walk into any of their offices to obtain docs to forge ahead BUT unbelievably, a Manager here is highly unaware of such document.
It is highly likely that the local staff are unfamiliar with this doc because company typically manages site acquisitions through an online portal or specialized regional Site Acquisition teams.
More astonishing is the fact that while recently speaking to a ranking officer in one of their ever renowned offices in Aba, this lady had to open up to not being familiar with this document in question.
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?? 🤨🤔
This reminds you that in franchising, the secrets being withheld are typically not malicious; rather, they are a fundamental part of the Business Format Franchising model used by mega-companies and even churches in 2026.
This experience illustrates exactly how this separation works: Division of Knowledge, where Franchisors provide their franchise partners with a specific Operations Manual. This manual covers daily retail tasks and nothing else.
Protection of Proprietary Systems (Trade Secrets), these are strictly guarded to maintain a competitive advantage and are rarely shared with retail franchisees who lack a "need-to-know" for their specific job functions. Administrative Limits and most important, Centralized Control of the organization. Okay, okay!