LAGOS (Sundiata Post) – NatCom Development and Investment Limited (ntel), the company that acquired the core assets of NiTel/MTel, hosted to Chief Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communication at their Tier III data centre in Lagos on Monday.
The minister, who was accompanied by a five-man team from the Ministry of Communications as well as the acting Director-General of the Nigerian Information Technology Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, was received at the Data Center/Cable Landing Station by Dr. Tunde Ayeni, Chairman NatCom; Kamar Abass, Managing Director, ntel and senior members of the ntel management team.
The minister, who was conducted round the Tier III Data Centre, expressed delight at the transformation of the moribund NiTel facilities.
Speaking while inspecting the Data Centre, he said, “I am happy that a Nigerian company with local funds has done this. Government is appreciative of what you have done. I want to congratulate ntel on the huge investment made to revive NiTel. People need to know about the huge investment you have made and I hope that my visit will help in that regard.”
Responding, Ayeni, Chairman of NatCom, thanked the minister for visiting and supporting ntel while promising that “we will try our best to create competition in the market and create more opportunities for Nigerians.
Kamar Abass, who spoke after overseeing the minister’s SIM registration on the network said, “thank you for spending such a significant amount of time with us hours after your arrival from a long trip.”
Abass then added a plea for the minister to intervene in the process of obtaining foreign exchange for purchasing telecom equipment. “We are proud that we have used predominantly Nigerian labour and personnel but our equipment all come from abroad and this entails spending tens of millions of dollars. We, as a telecom company, are not on the list of those who can access forex, so it is a real struggle to pay for these items. We need some flexibility on the part of CBN.”
The minister, who promised to look into the issue, said “my duty as minister is to make myself available to support every business. We do not discriminate because we exist to support private enterprise.”
