JOHANESSBURG, South Africa-Econet Wireless Nigeria announced it will invest US$l0 million in infrastructure in the Bauchi state, situated in the northeast of Nigeria. The investment has been packaged to stimulate growth for GSM mobile services in the state.
Bolaji Balogun, chief marketing officer at Econet Wireless, said the US$10 million investment would also create employment within the state.
Balogun added that the operator’s coverage of the area would be part of its commitment to providing telecommunications services for all Nigerians. “We are investing this huge amount as part of our challenge in providing efficient telephony services. Our concern is to see Nigerians being fully conscious of communication. This can only be done when services are made accessible to them at affordable prices,” Balogun added.
Alhaji Ahmadu, governor of the state, pledged his support for Econet and its efforts to bring mobile telecommunications services to the area, adding that it is important the state become aware of the importance of information technology.
Econet donated two VIP lines to the governor and his deputy with an additional 100 GSM lines presented to the state government for distribution to the police, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and fire departments.
