By Alex C
Etisalat, United Arab Emirates (UAE) mobile operator has invested an estimated $1 billion into its operations in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy in the last five years.
Amid the nation’s business environment, which has negative impact on revenues and profitability, these investments, according to the telecommunications company, has been ploughed into network upgrades, infrastructure roll outs, capacity building, among others.
Mr. Matthew Wisher, acting chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria, said that the firm currently has over 19 million subscribers with keen aspirations of doubling the figure in no distant time. Wilsher, who made known at the launch of a new campaign programme on Mobile Number Portability (MNP), the firm is keen on improving on the current quality of the network despite numerous operating challenges such as multiple taxation and regulation, vandalism, power constraints, amongst others, hindering operators from doing so.
According to the Acting CEO: “Etisalat is new in Nigeria- just five and half years with about $1 billion investments and more coming. We have over 19 million subscribers. The company is on the verge of completing a 2800 kilometres back haul network infrastructure. Etisalat’s current base transceiver station is 4500 spread across the country.”
Commenting on the MNP process which was introduced in Nigeria April 2013, Wilsher commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the initiative, stressing the process has provided subscribers with the freedom of choice.
According to him, the multi SIM (Subcriber Identity Module) nature of the country is impacting on the process greatly.
Mr. Idowu Adesokan, head of marketing and high value proposition at Etisalat, disclosed that the porting process has favoured Etisalat more than rivalry.
“Before the launch of MNP in Nigeria, Etisalat had 15.3 million subscribers. Now, now, we have over 19 million subscribers. I can say that we have 45 per cent port-in and between nine and 10 per cent port out. This has brought huge confidence on the network.”
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