Nigeria names Airtel Telecoms Brand of the year

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

Telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has been named Telecoms Brand of the Year, at the 8th edition of the Nigerian Telecoms Awards held in Lagos, after 21 months of operations in the country. 

The telecoms company, which chalked the feat in Nigeria on Saturday, September 8, 2012, clinched a total of three industry Awards - The Most Innovative Telecom Company of the Year, Telecom Brand of the year and Customer Friendly Operator of the year at a well-attended event marked by a huge presence of dignitaries from both private and public sectors. 

According to Awards’ citations, Airtel emerged overall best in the three categories following its enviable strides in charting new paths in meeting the demands and needs of its esteemed stakeholders through superior brand experience, a rich portfolio of innovative products and services ranging from exciting voice solutions to inventive data packages and mobile broadband.

On the Customer Friendly Operator Award, the organisers said, “this is the third time Airtel Nigeria is coming tops in the Customer Service category in the history of the Nigerian Telecoms Awards, and this clearly demonstrates the commitment of the management to treat their customers as more than just a connection”.

Emphasising why Airtel emerged the Telecoms Brand of the Year and the Most Innovative Network, the citation said: “Right from when the Airtel brand was launched in Nigeria in November, 2010, the company has maintained a singular focus of exciting and delighting telecommunications consumers across the country with relevant solutions to enable them fulfill their dreams and realise their full potentials.”

Specifically, Airtel was commended for delighting “telecoms consumers in Nigeria with pocket-friendly and innovative offerings, bonuses, and exceptional customer relations policy.”

Mr. Rajan Swaroop, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, described the awards as an eloquent testimony to the enterprising and resilient spirit of staff of the company, saying everyone at Airtel Nigeria is passionate about creating value for telecoms consumers as well as exceeding their expectations. 

He dedicated the award to all employees of the company just as he assured that Airtel will continue to pursue its brand vision of being the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians. 

Speaking at the occasion held at the Incubator Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Telecommunications Awards, Chief Alex Akinyele said the awards are sustained by credibility, describing the Industry event as the most credible in the Nigerian Telecoms space. 

He pledged that the Board of Trustees will continue to live above board to retain the credibility of the Awards among stakeholders. 

Also speaking at the occasion, the pioneer Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, commended the organisers of the Awards saying, “though a lot of progress has been made since the advent of telecommunications in Nigeria, initiatives such as the telecoms awards spur further development that can ensure that Nigeria keeps pace with developments and innovations across the world.”

Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel Ltd., the parent company of Airtel Nigeria headquartered in New Delhi, India, had over 262 million customers across its operations in 20 countries in Asia and Africa at the end of July 2012.