‘Airtel emergence as world’s 3rd largest operator down to business model’

Airtel has emerged world’s third largest telecoms operator, trailing China Mobile and Vodafone, according to World Cellular Information Service.

The leading telecoms operator has 303 million mobile subscribers across 20 countries, while also emerging as largest operator in India in terms of subscribers. It currently has revenue with widest network coverage across 2G, 3G and 4G, becoming one of the top emerging market brands.

All these could be ascribed to the firm’s exceptional business model, according to Segun Ogunsanya, MD/CEO, Airtel Nigeria.

Ogunsanya disclosed this during the signing of memorandum of understanding between the telecoms firm and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to expand collaboration across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria.

“This is a testimony about our business model. We value our communities because we believe that you cannot be successful while the local community where you are is not successful,” Ogunsanya said.

The agreement allows UNICEF to tap into Airtel’s mobile services to make health, education, child protection and community-focused content available to Airtel customers across the country. It is expected that through improved connectivity, more Nigerians will have free access to mobile applications and services developed by UNICEF, such as U-Report, which is an innovative SMS-based platform that empowers Nigerians to participate in policy-making and governance and to access real time information on key social issues.

Ogunsanya said Airtel believes in lifting people out of poverty, adding that the telecoms giant has ‘Adopt the School Programme’ which supports schools for a four-year fixed period.

Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, said “UNICEF is committed to providing innovative solutions towards better delivery of services and social change. This partnership with Airtel has the potential to empower millions of Nigerians through access to information and with opportunities to help them transform their societies.”

About 15 million text messages were sent and received through the U-Report platform while the country battled Ebola in 2014.

The awareness messages and real time responses via SMS and on the U-Report Social Media platforms sent out during the Ebola outbreak succeeded in combating

rumours about mythical remedies such as bathing with hot water and salt and taking bitter kola to cure the disease, UNICEF says.

ODINAKA ANUDU