Yayi 2019: Senator explains why NASS is probing sale of Etisalat – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Senator representing the Lagos State West Senatorial district, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, aka Yayi has explained why he sponsored the motion to investigate the near-collapse of former Etisalat, a mobile network operator (MNO), now trading as 9mobile, following the operators inability to repay multi-million dollar loan, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this to ITREALMS at the weekend during when 2019 campaign train stopped over at the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at a forum tagged Meet the Press Forum, Senator Adeola, said the motion became imperative because Nigerians have vested interest in the telecommunications companies existence and have invested heavily since it began operation in the country over eight years ago.

This, ITREALMS gathered is coming as the bills for upgrading of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba-Lagos and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State to degree-awarding universities of technologies, have passed first readings respectively.

He told ITREALMS led to the ongoing investigations by a Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions.

Adeola, who also is the pioneer chairman of Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Local Content, told ITREALMS that he sponsored the motion to “investigate Revenue Generating Agencies over alleged leakages non-remittances and misuse of generated revenue by MDAs.”

Additionally, he sponsored motion for legislative investigation of “Local Content Elements and Cost Variation of the Egina Oil Field Project and other Related Matters.”

“It’s noteworthy that all these motions led to Senate resolutions for investigations to expose corruption or inefficiency which indeed is the hallmark of the role of a legislator in oversight duties,” he declared.

According to the Senator, he had sponsored some 15 bills in the last three years including the two seeking to upgrade Yaba Tech and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to universities of technologies among others.

“So far, I have single handedly introduced 15 bills to the 8th Senate while co-sponsoring many others including the passed, ‘Sexual Harassment Bill and Special Status for Lagos Bill,’” he said.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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Etisalat pullout: EMTS, Etisalat group in brand-use discussion

ITRealms:

The Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services (EMTS) Limited, trading as Etisalat Nigeria has said it has entered high-level discussion with the Etisalat Group on the use of the brand in Nigeria in spite of its pull-out of the business, reports ITRealms.

The Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs at Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, while reacting on reported withdrawal of Etisalat Group and the right to the continued use of the Etisalat brand in Nigeria by EMTS.

According to him, EMTS has a valid and subsisting agreement with the Etisalat Group, which entitles EMTS to use the Etisalat brand, notwithstanding the recent changes within the company.

He confirmed to ITRealms that EMTS is in discussion with Etisalat Group over the continued use of the brand in Nigeria.

“Indeed, discussions are ongoing between EMTS and Etisalat Group pertaining to the continued use of the brand, and EMTS will issue a formal statement once discussions are concluded,” he said.

Dikko pointed out that the final outcome on the use of the brand would in no way affect the operations of the business at full range of services remain available to ‘Etisalat’ customers in Nigeria.

He recalled some of the brand repositioning by EMTS since its launch in Nigeria nine years ago, which include but not limited to “0809ja” to affirm the “Nigerianness” of our origin and sphere of influence.

“In our 9 years of operation, we have remained a prime driver and avid supporter of the Nigerian spirit of excellence, and we will continue to stay true to our “Naijacentric identity” he said.

This notion, Dikko said, is strongly reflected in the telco core messages and depicted in major projects and initiatives which we have been known to support.

“All these initiatives have their foundation embedded in supporting key aspects of the Nigerian fabric: building Nigerian businesses and empowering Nigerian’s with a focus on the youth,” he said.

The VP Dikko maintained that Nigeria remains the soul of EMTS’ business and EMTS has made the brand alluring to teeming subscribers who see a piece of the spirit and character of Nigeria in everything the company do.

“EMTS is here to stay and we wish to assure our esteemed customers that our core values of youthfulness, customer-centricity and innovation will remain the pillars on which we operate. We thank our esteemed customers for their abiding faith in us,” Dikko reassured.

Nonye Dom/GEE 

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Etisalat launches co-location services

ITRealms:

Most innovative and customer-friendly telecommunications company, Etisalat has launched its colocation services to offer more value to its business customers, reports ITRealms.

Etisalat’s colocation service, ITRealms gathered, provides corporates with safe and secure data storage, complimented with round the clock power and cooling, within Etisalat data centres.

Director, Enterprise Segment at Etisalat, Eric Uwaoma, disclosed that the roll-out of colocation services deepens Etisalat bouquet of offers to the business market.

“This service like most innovative services launched by Etisalat offers more reliability, better quality of service and cost savings to the customer,” he said.

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Etisalat Nigeria takeover: Meet new guys on the bloc

ITRealms:

Dr. Joseph Nnanna – Chairman

Dr. Nnanna is an economist and a Central Banker. He has three decades of post qualification professional experience. He attended William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey and University of Houston, in Houston Texas, USA from 1975-80, where he read Finance, Public Policy and Economics. He graduated with B.A, M.A and PhD diplomas. Since graduation, Dr. Nnanna has attended several economic policy oriented training programs. In 2003 and 2004, he studied at Harvard University and participated in the macroeconomic policy and leadership/ organizational management training programs.

Dr. Nnanna was appointed Deputy Governor (Financial System Stability) Central Bank of Nigeria on February 3, 2015. His work experience includes: a brief period of teaching at the University of Houston at Clear Lake City campus (USA) and at the federal government Polytechnic, Akure (Nigeria) in 1980-82. And from 1982-1989, he worked as a staff economist in the international trade and exchange rate section of the Research Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Dr. Nnanna also served as full time consultant to the government of Nigeria as a technical assistant to the National Economic Management Team and the Presidential Steering Committee on Global economic crisis. He was also a part-time consultant to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In 2012-2014, Dr. Nnanna , served as the Alternate Executive Director, representing Nigeria and 21 other sub-sahara African countries on the Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington D.C.

Mr. Oluseyi Bickersteth – Non Executive Director

 Seyi Bickersteth is the National Senior Partner of KPMG Professional Services, Nigeria; he oversees KPMG West Africa Region and is a Member of the Global Board. Seyi has provided advisory services to major companies in varied industries, including oil and gas, financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing, commercial, public sector and not for profit organisations.

He has been extensively involved in privatisation activities and has provided tax and business advice to several local and international companies on privatisation, business organisation, entity restructuring and business regulatory issues. 

Seyi was a member of the Trade and Investment Committee of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce; was a director of the Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce and currently a Director of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. He was also involved in Vision 2010, which prepared a memorandum on the vision for Nigeria by year 2010. He chaired a working group on “Nigerian Tax Reforms 2003 & Beyond” for the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Mr. Ken Igbokwe – Non Executive Director

Ken joined Price Waterhouse in London in 1978 and moved to PwC Nigeria in 1988. He became the Country Business Executive Leader of PwC Nigeria and West Africa and was a member of the PwC Africa Executive Committee.

Ken holds a B.Sc. (Eng.) degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London University, and over 36 years’ experience in the provision of assurance, taxation, business advisory, and consulting services. He specialises in strategy, enterprise transformation, process reengineering, taxation advisory and business reconstruction.

He is a Member, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales, and Nigeria; Member, City and Guilds Institute London; Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, and Member, Business Recovery & Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria.

Mrs. Funke Ighodaro Executive Director, Finance

Funke was Chief Financial Officer of Tiger Brands Limited from 2011 to 2016. She held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Primedia (Pty) Ltd, from 2001 to 2011. Prior to 2001, she was Managing Director of a private equity firm, Kagiso Ventures Limited and Executive Director of its parent company, Kagiso Trust Investment Company.

Funke also worked in the corporate finance division of Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank. She trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, where she spent a total of 10 years in audit and tax. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Mr. Boye Olusanya – Managing Director/CEO

Boye Olusanya, the new CEO of Etisalat Nigeria is bringing on board an impeccable wealth of experience from the Nigerian telecoms sector. At ECONET Wireless, he was Deputy Chief Executive Officer and subsequently the Acting Chief Executive Officer where he successfully managed the affairs of the Company after the disengagement of the former operators.

At CELTEL NIGERIA LIMITED, Boye assumed the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer and led the business strategy initiative for data services as well as key strategic operational changes in the business.

Boye has handled high level responsibilities at Dangote Industries Limited where he served as Chief Business Transformation Officer responsible for management of all enterprise-wide projects in the Group. He was also MD at Dancom Technologies Limited with responsibility for managing all the telecom assets and the IT Infrastructure. He oversaw the sale of the 3G subsidiary as well as managed the rollout of the fibre backbone network covering 4400km across the country.

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EFCC not after Etisalat, we repaid 42% of original loan - Management

ITRealms:

The management of Etisalat Nigeria has denied that they are being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following a petition to “the Federal Government asking that Etisalat be investigated” on how the funds from the syndicated loans were utilized, reports ITRealms.

The Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko told ITRealms that a simple interrogation of the rigorous process for securing a syndicated loan from a consortium of reputable banks would have exposed the truth to the original writer of this story and other media channels who have subsequently re-circulated the falsehood without interrogation or verification.

Concerned parties have access to Etisalat books and do not require an investigation into how the loan sum was utilized.

“All of the infrastructure investment and services for which the loan was secured, were paid through our banks and these are verifiable,” he said.

Dikko stressed the need for the media to correctly inform the general public by providing the needful macro-economic context around which the challenges encountered with meeting up with the loan obligation occurred.

“It would be recalled that the $1.2bn loan, a medium-term seven-year facility, was obtained by Etisalat Nigeria for the purpose of expanding its network and improving the quality of service on its network. The economic downturn of 2015 and sharp devaluations of the naira negatively impacted on the dollar-denominated loan by driving up the loan value, thus prompting Etisalat to request a loan restructuring from the consortium of banks,” he explained.

This, he said was contrary to the widely reported misrepresentations about Etisalat Nigeria’s debt obligation to the consortium of 13 banks, thus, it has become pertinent to set the records straight.

Dikko also said that prior to this time, Etisalat had in fact consistently and conscientiously met up with its payment obligations.

“As at today, we can categorically state that the outstanding loan sum to the consortium stands at $227m and N113bn, a total of about $574m if the naira portion is converted to US Dollars,” he said.

Emphasising that this in essence meant almost half of the original loan of $1.2bn, has been repaid, insisting that Etisalat continued to service the loan up until February 2017, when discussions with the banks regarding the repayment restructuring commenced.

“We hereby appeal to our media partners to continue to uphold the ethics of the profession by exercising some restraint particularly in the publication of such misleading and damaging information. We have been accessible and remain available to the media to clarify or verify information when required,” Dikko assured.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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You can’t take over Etisalat - NCC

ITRealms:

The apex telecommunications regulator in the country, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned the consortium of banks led by Access Bank plc, saying they cannot take over Etisalat through the back door, reports ITRealms.

The Commission through its Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, told ITRealms that the despite the indebtedness of Etisalat to the consortium of banks, insisting that such takeover negates the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 Section 38.

This, he said, showed that granting of a license is personal to the licensee and not transferable.

According to Ojobo, NCA 2003 Section 38, Sub section 1 states inter-alia that “The grant of a license shall be personal to the licensee and the license shall not be operated by, assigned, sub licensed or transferred to another party unless the prior written approval of the commission has been granted.”

Buttressing this, NCC noted that Sub section 2 stated “A licensee shall at all times comply by the terms and condition of the license and the provision of this act and its subsidiary legislation.”

NCC condemned the planned takeover of Etisalat Nigeria by a consortium of banks, saying the Commission was aware of the indebtedness and had made efforts to resolve the aligning issues along the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with a view to finding a resolution.

Unfortunately, the spokesman said, these meetings could not yield the desired results.

“The NCC wishes to reassure the over 21 million Etisalat subscribers that it will do all within its regulatory power to ensure that Etisalat subscribers continue to enjoy the services provided by the operator,” he said.

The Commission, Ojobo maintained, has taken proactive steps to cushion the impact of the takeover, this is without prejudice to the ongoing effort between Etisalat and the banks toward negotiated settlement.

“In view of the recent development, NCC wishes to reassure all stakeholders in the telecommunications sector in particular the subscribers on the Etisalat Network that the Commission will ensure that the integrity of Etisalat Network is not compromised,” NCC assured, stressing that subscribers would continue to enjoy the services provided by Etisalat.

ITRealms recalls that the bank consortium comprised Access Bank plc, Zenith Bank, GTBank, First Bank, UBA, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank, FCMB, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Union Bank.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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EtiAccess coming your way, as bank loan forces Etisalat to change name

ITRealms:

The Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited currently trading as Etisalat Nigeria may have been taken over by Nigerian banks led by Access Bank plc, reports ITRealms.

This may have led to industry watchers to postulate that Etisalat Nigeria may after all change its name to EtiAccess.

Confirming plans to tinker on the changing structure of Etisalat Nigeria including its shareholding, the Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, said the telco has commenced

restructuring with changes to its shareholding.

“As it had earlier stated in a release, the negotiations with the consortium of Lenders are considering a number of possible options,” he told ITRealms.

According to him, Etisalat Nigeria can now confirm the first stage of this has begun with a change in shareholding which was announced to the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange this Tuesday morning.

“Etisalat Nigeria can confirm discussions are on-going regarding other issues such as the trading name during this transition phase,” he revealed but added that operations and services to subscribers remain normal and would in no way be affected.

“We will continue to tap into the rich, creative and innovative resources within our workforce to build a stronger business upon the stable foundation we have laid in our 9 years of operations,” he declared.

Further, he expresses, Etisalat Nigeria profound gratitude to the Government, the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria for their patriotic zeal and tireless efforts at ensuring collaborative and productive engagement.

“We are also appreciative of the tremendous support we have received from the media since inception and we count on their continued support as we transition to a stronger business. We will update our stakeholders and the public on further developments shortly,” he said.

ITRealms gathered that as part of the outcome of the last meeting, the parties comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), EMTS agreed on June 23 date to transfer 100 per cent to United Capital Limited Trustees, on behalf of the bank consortium, but a few days to this deadline, owners of Etisalat brand, Mubadala, made a technical withdrawal by filing a takeover of its shares at the Abu Dhabi stock exchange, today, Tuesday, 20 June, 2017.

Thus, paving the way for the official takeover by the next in line of majority shares, which in this instance are the bank consortum led by by Access Bank plc.

ITRealms recalls that on March 10, this year, in order to forestall the crises capable of creating a backlash on Foreign Director Investor, the apex telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), CBN and some 13 banks met in Abuja, with top on agenda being how to harmoniously restructure the Etisalat indebtedness worth.

The meeting which was held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja, was convened by the apex bank at the instance of NCC, to further deliberate on how best to stave off the attempt by the banks to takeover Etisalat.

While Etisalat reported owes Access Bank plc the sum of N40 billion, about $131 million, other members of the bank consortium include Zenith Bank, GTBank, First Bank, UBA, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank, FCMB, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Union Bank.

 

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Etisalat hosts customer forum in Kaduna

ITRealms:

Etisalat Nigeria has deepened its commitment with subscribers on its network by hosting its customers in Kaduna at the quarterly Etisalat Customer Forum, reports ITRealms.

At the Etisalat Customer Forum, attended by hundreds of customers shared their experiences with the network, asked questions, and commendations. In return, the Etisalat team, which included heads of service units, answered all questions and resolved all concerns raised by the customers on the spot.

Addressing the Forum, Director, Brands and Experience, Elvis Ogiemwanye, said the forum underscores the fact that Etisalat holds its customers in high esteem and seeks to engage them at every opportunity in order to deepen its relationship with them.

Ogiemwanye said, “We at Etisalat Nigeria consider the customer forum as extremely important because this is the platform from which we get feedback that helps us improve on our products and services and develop new ones. Also, at the customer forum sessions, we get to interact face-to-face with subscribers on our network; know them better and learn how to serve them better.

“We are passionate about engaging with our customers to know how they feel; what they think; and what their experiences are with our products and services. This is because we recognise our customers as number one in everything we do and our goal is to keep delighting them.”

One of the customers at the forum, Elijah Dodo, a banker, commended Etisalat for seeking feedback from its customers, saying he was satisfied with how his complaints were resolved at the forum.

He said, “The customer forum is a rewarding experience. I like the fact that customers that came for the forum participated actively. On a general note, I’ll say that the customers here seem quite happy with Etisalat”.

Another customer, Patience Madlion, a farmer, said the sincerity with which the Etisalat team answered questions at the forum was commendable.

“The customer forum was awesome and for me, it came at the right time. I’m glad I came for this forum. Though the Etisalat customer care unit has been doing very well, obviously, some issues cannot be easily resolved over the phone. By coming here today, I’ve got my complaint resolved and I have a better understanding of the Etisalat products and services that I use” she said.   

Ahead of the customer forum, the Etisalat team, led by Ogiemwanye, visited Rimi College, Kaduna as part of its community engagement efforts. The team held a career counselling session for students of the college, where Ogiemwanye, an old student of the college, enjoined the students to work hard for a bright future. Etisalat also presented books and other educational materials to the school. 

The Etisalat Customer Forum has been held in several cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ibadan, Benin, Calabar, Uyo, Warri, Onitsha, Akure and Ilorin.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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Etisalat dismisses alleged copyright infringement by V-Exchange

ITRealms:

Etisalat Nigeria has dismissed the claims of patent infringement by V-Exchange Limited, saying the allegation was baseless and unfounded, reports ITRealms.

The management of V-Exchange, ITRealms gathered, had claimed that it sent a business proposal dated 27th October, 2016 to Etisalat and subsequently met with Etisalat’s representatives on 23rd, November 2016, where it informed Etisalat of some of its products with a view to partnering with Etisalat and launching the products on Etisalat’s platform, but that Etisalat proceeded to unilaterally launch the products as ‘KwikCash’ without V-Exchange’s authorization. V-Exchange demanded for over N2billion from Etisalat as compensation.

Reacting to the allegation, Head, Environment Compliance and Public Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluseyi Osunsedo, rejected the allegation by V-Exchange Ltd insisting that it is baseless and unfounded, while affirming Etisalat’s commitment to strict adherence to existing laws, industry regulations and best practice.

Osunsedo explained that KwikCash loan service, the product which according to V-Exchange was allegedly copied by Etisalat from its proposal, is owned and operated by a licensed financial institution, which was granted NCC approval to run the service on Etisalat’s network.

“The NCC approval was dated 20th April 2016, while the pilot launch of KwikCash service held on 18th July 2016,” she said.

Etisalat spokesperson equally questioned how the product could have been copied from V-Exchange when KwikCash service was already in existence and operational long before 27th October, 2016 when V-Exchange sent its proposal to Etisalat.

In view of the above, Etisalat Nigeria, she said, urged the general public to disregard the claim by V-Exchange Ltd as the allegation is frivolous and lacking any merit.

“In keeping with our vision of being an enabler, we re-affirm that Etisalat is a law abiding and responsible corporate organization and we remain committed to delighting our customers and stakeholders with innovative products and superior customer experience”, Osunsedo asserted.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Etisalat parleys subscribers in Kwara State

ITRealms:

Acclaimed Nigeria’s most customer-friendly telecommunication company, Etisalat has hosted its customers in Ilorin, Kwara State to a parley, at part of its quarterly exercise, reports ITRealms.

The Etisalat Customer Forum, ITRealms gathered, is an interactive feedback session aimed at engaging customers to deepen relationships, just as the session provides a platform for valuable engagement with customers through constructive feedback on their experiences from using various services and products on the Etisalat network.

Speaking at the interactive forum, held during the week in Ilorin, the state capital, Director, Brands and Experience, Elvis Ogiamwanye, said the forum further underlined Etisalat’s recognition of its customers as being very important to the continued growth of the network in Nigeria.

While stating that the Customer Forum initiative was launched in 2010 with the objective of receiving feedbacks from customers across a wide range of issues, he revealed that feedbacks received at previous customer forums have helped the company in developing innovative products and services that solve every day problem for the customers. 

 

“At Etisalat, we are passionate about delivering value to our customers. This is why we come to them regularly so they can speak with us about our products and services. The feedbacks we get from them serve as a major input that has accelerated our growth in the Nigerian telecommunication industry,” Ogiamwanye said.

A customer who works with a fashion publication, Christina Odigie, commended Etisalat for the superior quality of its data service in Ilorin, and said this has empowered her to do more in view of the nature of her vocation. “I work for a fashion magazine, so I am always online 24/7 so I can stay ahead of fashion trends. I love to stream videos, download media, check Instagram and other social media platforms. I must say that Etisalat data quality is second to none”, she enthused.

Kwara State Commissioner for Environment, Otunba Taiwo Joseph, also commended Etisalat for its swift response to solving customers’ complaints. “I had some challenges with my line, it was fixed in no time after I complained at the Etisalat Experience Centre on Stadium Road here in Ilorin. Since then I have been enjoying both data and voice services without complaint”, he said. 

Ayo Midele/GEE 

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Pix: L-R: Specialist, Customer Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Sowari Akosionu;Etisalat Customer, Titus Olorunnisola and Director, Brands and Experience, Elvis Ogiemwanye during Etisalat Customer Forum held in Ilorin, Kwara State, recently.

Etisalat receives EMS certification on ISO 14001:2004

ITRealms:

Telecommunications operator, Etisalat Nigeria has received the prestigious International Organization for Standardization (ISO)14001:2004 Environmental Management System (EMS) certification, reports ITRealms.

The certification, ITRealms gathered heralds Etisalat as the first telecommunication company in Nigeria to successfully implement the ISO 14001:2004 standard.  

Also, the certification, ITRealms reports, was awarded to Etisalat Nigeria by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, is conferred on organisations that establish and run an environmental management system of the highest standards.

Confirming this, the Managing Director, Bureau Veritas Nigeria, Mr. Sebastiano Fruciano, while presenting the certificate to the Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matthew Willsher, in Lagos, commended the telco for surpassing the set standards for the industry.

“We wish to congratulate Etisalat Nigeria on achieving this great feat. We commend you for establishing and operating one of the best environmental management systems in the country, at least the best among telecommunications operators,” Fruciano said.

Willsher thanked Bureau Veritas for recognising the commitment of Etisalat Nigeria to sustainable development, environmental protection and strict compliance with existing regulations.

“The successful incorporation of ISO 14001: 2004 EMS into our business operations is a confirmation of our continuous commitment to excellence and regulatory compliance. This international certification has again affirmed the leadership role we play in the industry. We strive to be the best in everything we do, from product innovation to service delivery and compliance with all relevant regulations and we will continue on this path,” he said.

Head, Environmental Compliance and Public Relations, Oluseyi Osunsedo, said Etisalat as a socially responsible organisation takes compliance, stakeholder interest and best practice very seriously.

“We have voluntarily set the highest standards of performance for ourselves and our business partners to ensure sustainability is interwoven into business decisions. The result of this is that every aspect of our operations does not only comply with our internal operational policies, but all operations meet and where possible, exceed the local regulatory requirements as well as conform to international best practice,” she said.

Osunsedo further said that, indeed Etisalat is the first operator in Nigeria and possibly in Africa to get certified to the ISO standard for environmental management.

“This goes to show that Etisalat is doing many things right particularly in terms of proactive management of environmental concerns. The recent ISO certification is an independent validation that we are operating our business in such a way that prevents negative impacts on our operational environment,” she said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE 

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Pix: L-R: Managing Director, Sebastiano Fruciano; System Certification Manager, Adenike Akinbote, both of Bureau Veritas Nigeria presenting the ISO 14001:2004 EMS Certificate to the Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher in company of Head, Environmental Compliance and Public Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluseyi Osunsedo.

Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians

WinningEssaySeries@ITRealms:

1.0 Introduction

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) defined Internet Governance as “the development and application by Governments, the private sector, and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.’’¹