Etisalat Nigeria renews Alcatel-Lucent contract …gets new Brands /Communications Director

Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by Etisalat Nigeria (EMTS, Emerging Market Telecommunication Services), one of the mobile service operators in Nigeria, to continue providing managed services for their expanding mobile network. The operator’s subscriber base has dramatically grown 120 percent year-over-year to over seven million subscribers in just two years.  Alcatel-Lucent will continue supporting Etisalat Nigeria’s network transformation by developing and delivering new end-user services as required to meet its customers’ growing demands.

The renewed two-year multivendor managed services agreement will significantly reduce operational expenses, while improving service quality for Etisalat Nigeria’s subscribers. Alcatel-Lucent will be responsible for ensuring the high-quality and reliable performance of the network in the South-west of the country including Lagos by providing world class services which include network operations, consulting, design, network optimization, spare parts management, maintenance services, and project management.

By outsourcing the day-to-day operations and maintenance to Alcatel-Lucent, Etisalat Nigeria will be able to focus on their core business issues such as increasing average revenue per user (ARPU) and ensuring increased network quality and affordability while avoiding the complexity of network operations and management.

“This new contract further strengthens our long-standing cooperation with Etisalat and highlights their confidence in our ability to create, deliver and manage complex next-generation networks with strong local support capabilities,” said Adolfo Hernandez, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “With our professional and managed services and advanced technologies, Alcatel-Lucent is committed to helping Etisalat’s sustainable development in Nigeria and to ensure the highest level of service to its customers located throughout the country.”

“Since it began operations in Nigeria, Etisalat has been committed to providing Nigerians with world-class service for which Etisalat is known for in all the countries where it operates.  That is why we have selected Alcatel-Lucent, a competent partner with global experience and we look forward to them meeting our high standards of network performance to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of our subscribers” said Steven Evans, CEO of Etisalat Nigeria.

Alcatel-Lucent has over 20 years of experience in managed services, and currently supports 250 million subscribers across 100 customer networks.  Etisalat Nigeria is one of many partners and major service providers around the world which rely on Alcatel-Lucent for network operations, network integration, multi-vendor maintenance, network outsourcing, applications integration and IP network transformation.

Etisalat Nigeria has also announced the appointment of Enitan Denloye as Director, Brands and Communications. The announcement made by the company Chief Executive Officer, Steven Evans takes effect from 1st March 2011 and will see the new Director articulate the strategic direction and implementation of the Etisalat brand in Nigeria.

Prior to his appointment, Enitan has garnered extensive experience at home and abroad in Sales, Brand Management, Marketing Communications and Management Consultancy, having worked at Procter & Gamble, the Coca-Cola Company, McKinsey & Co, and British American Tobacco (BAT), South Africa. He also has an MBA from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Illinois, U.S.A.