Posted by By GODWIN TSA, Abuja on
Visafone makes history today as it launches full commercial operations across Nigeria in 12 states and over 40 cities, including the FCT Abuja. The newest and wholly-owned Nigerian mobile phone company with the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Zenith Bank.
Visafone makes history today as it launches full commercial operations across Nigeria in 12 states and over 40 cities, including the FCT Abuja. The newest and wholly-owned Nigerian mobile phone company with the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Zenith Bank.
Jim Ovia, as founder and promoter, enters into the highly competitive telecoms market today with high expectations and excitement amongst its subscribers, potential subscribers and industry practitioners.
Hailed by analysts as one of the telecoms company to watch in 2008, Visafone signalled its serious intentions early.
The company received its Unified Access Service licence as a telecom operator from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) following its acquisition of over eight years old Cellcom.
Visafone aims to become one of the preferred telecom operators in Nigeria by offering seamless and efficient services that will ensure the best clarity and the widest coverage. It will also offer an exciting bouquet of superior services that include the very best of Voice, High Speed Data 3G (EVDO) internet and other innovative Value Added Services to individual subscribers, while also providing unequalled business solutions to large corporate bodies, as well as the Small & Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria.
Speaking on the company's business plan and strategy, Ninan Thomas, the Indian-American MD/CEO of Visafone, who brings to the company his experience at Reliance India, as well as Motorola in the US, said his company's 'overriding plan is to act as a spring board for Nigeria's economic growth and development. To achieve this, the company will assist in fast tracking that growth and development through the provision of cutting edge communications infrastructure, as well as seamless and efficient services that will ensure excellent customer service, unequalled clarity, the widest coverage and seamless connectivity."
Visafone's emergence is expected to up the competitive ante in Nigeria's very exciting mobile phone business segment of the economy as it contributes its own quota to improving the quality of service, enlarging subscriber base and broadening capacity in the telecom industry.
It is fulfilling to note that Nigerian banks have given their overwhelming support to Visafone by coming together to raise over $200m in support of the new mobile phone company.
As Visafone rolls out commercially across Nigeria, the syndicated financial windfall is expected to come in handy for building capacity, expanding the network and coverage area, as well as in actualising part of the company's dream of taking 5000 Nigerians off the unemployment market in the next five years and giving Nigerians a passport to reach the world.
Visafone was incorporated in Nigeria on June 20, 2007 following its acquisition of Cellcom received its Unified Access Service licence as a telecom operator from NCC on July 1, 2007.