By JUMI RHODES
Barring any last-minute technical problems, Nigeria’s foremost telecommunications provider Nigerian Telecommunications Limited(NITEL) which was privatised and licensed to Natcom Development and Investment Limited {by the Goodluck Jonathan-led government} will roll out its lines beginning from March 2016 in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Following the biddings in 2014, Natcom became the preferred bidder for NITEL and its mobile telecommunications arm after the National Council on Privatisation approved the sale in the value of $252.251m.
The Chairman of Natcom, Mr. Olatunde Ayeni, in a presentation to the House of Representatives in Abuja, said that the firm will provide 4,000 jobs in the roll-out plan. For kickoff, NATCOM would offer 4G/LTE services to address 3G customers’ needs for mobile broadband services. According to Ayeni, up to $1bn had been injected into the revival of the former NITEL/Mtel since the acquisition took place. Recall NITEL/MTEL shut down operational services in 2005 following a failed bidding process.
