The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, has commended the Governor of the State of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola for setting up modern telecommunication and mobile devices manufacturing company in the state.
Ogunsanya gave the commendation on Friday in Lagos at the year 2013 Nigerian Telecom Development Lecture (NITDEL) at the Agip Hall of Muson Centre in Lagos.
The state, in partnership with RLG, a multinational technology company based in Ghana, finalised a plan to kick-start the manufacturing company to be cited in Ilesha, in the next couple of weeks. The company would produce various devices locally and for export.
According to the government, the establishment of the phone manufacturing company in the state is to create employment opportunities for youths as well as make telephone and related devices affordable for the people.
Ogunsaya said the company, when it commences operation, would boost the nation’s information Communications Technology (ICT) industry as well as afford more people, particularly in the local areas opportunity to have access to mobile telephone.
The Airtel boss, who noted that telecommunication has become a way of life of people across the world, lauded the vision of the Aregbesola government in looking beyond the immediate by making his government ICT-driven.
He equally lauded the governor for his technological revolution in the education sector with the pioneering e-learning device called Opon-Imo. “There is no doubt that the Governor of the State of Osun is one of the best promoters of ICT in the country.
“He has demonstrated this with the Opon-Imo (the Tablet of Knowledge) for the secondary school students. The manufacturing of phone in the state is another huge boost for the telecoms industry.
“The local production of phone in Osun would certainly help a large number of people to have access to phones and other telecom devices thereby expanding the state’s and the nation’s ICT base. We should all encourage Governor Aregbesola to do more of the things our people want,” Ogunsanya said.
He therefore called on government at all levels to help the players in the telecom sector by creating an enabling environment for the development of ICT, particularly the laying of fibres for the expansion of the county’s broad band.
Ogunsanya said but for the robust support being provided by the governor, the company RLG would not have found the business environment conducive enough to operate.