Celtel justifies regionalisation, launches Project Katsina

Celtel Nigeria has justified the telco’s introduction of regionalisation in its operations, saying its a way of bringing offerings to teeming subscribers in the country, just as the telco launched its Project Katsina.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Celtel Nigeria, Mr. Lars Stork who gave the justification, said the reason behind the telco’s regionalisation of its activities, is to get nearer to the subscribers.

This is coming as the telco subsidiary in Kenya last weekend added Blackberry in its basket of offering.

Speaking at the launch of Project Katsina, Mr. Stork informed that the aim of regionalization of its operations is to assist the telco in building a mutually beneficial relationship, meet customers at their doorsteps and reach every community in nationwide within the shortest possible time.

He stressed that the transmission backbone from the South West to the South East is being completed and that MTC, the parent company of Celtel is investing more than N2.5 billion in Celtel Nigeria to boost the quality and robustness of the network.

Mr. Stork equally said that the telco is speeding up the coverage and expansion programme and enjoined Nigerians and the media precisely to give the regional team the support it needed to grow the network.

Commenting at the media roundtable to herald Project Katsina, the General Manager, North West region for Celtel, Mr. Babatunde Lawson said Celtel Nigeria has commenced aggressive coverage in the North West Region, which gave birth to Project Katsina.

He said, Project Katsina is aimed at covering every nooks and crannies of Katsina in the shortest possible time, whilst using the project to honour Mr. President, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’Adua who hails from Katsina State.

“The country’s no 1 citizen deserves this honour and it is our desire to see the quick completion of this project in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Mr. Lawson also said that with over N8.9 billion invested in the last one year in the North West, the region now has over 700,000 subscribers and 186 base stations, just as the revenue base has also grown significantly by 70 per cent.

On the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), he noted that Celtel in the North West has sunk about 30 boreholes in different communities with critical water problems in the region.

Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Michael Foley, also added voice to the regionalisation policy of Celtel, saying it’s to add local flavour to the network’s management as well as afford the customers the opportunity to know how Celtel is fairing both locally and internationally.


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