Celtel equips top team for African market

STILL keen on grabbing its own market share in the West African telecommunications sector, with special emphasis on Nigeria, the management of Celtel International Bv of Netherlands, has equipped its top team with a training session at the London Business School (LBS).

ITRealms Online recalls that Celtel’s investment on the continent is over $750 million, even as Nigeria is yet to benefit strongly in this area.

The training recently concluded saw 25-key officials from Celtel West Africa based in Sierra Leone attending the LBS Advanced Management Programme.

The programme, ITRealms Online learnt was designed for top 80 people within Celtel globally.

The 25-person team from West Africa represents about 20 per cent of the total beneficiaries, an indication that it is determined to get hold of its market share in the sub-region, precisely in Nigeria.

The West African team included the Vice-President Operations, Mr. Lars Stock, Finance Director at headquarters, Mr. Peter Cannan, and Human Resources and Administration Director, Mrs. Fela Adeyemi, who was formerly head, HR in PwC Nigeria, among others.

The course, which focused on developing a systematic approach for making critical business choices by evaluating different choices of action, also explored personal influence in taking Celtel forward and becoming a leader with impact.

The themes covered, according to the source, included managing upwards, cultural intelligence, being entrepre-neurial and empowering others.

ITRealms Online recollects that Celtel is one of the companies that initially bidded for the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), but withdrew when the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), refused to demerge Mtel from the company on sale.

“CelTel remains very much interested in entering the Nigerian market,” our source said.

Celtel has networks presence in 15 countries including Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Republic, Congo Democratic Republic, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.