Oluwasina Phillip
The Nigerian Communications Commision, has denied renewing Airtel’s licence for another 10-year period.
The regulator said this in a statement titled, ‘Airtel’s Mobile Operating Licence Pending Renewal,’ seen by THE WHISTLER.
Airtel’s Chief Executive Officer, Olusegun Ogunsanya, was quoted last week to have claimed the NCC had approved its license for another 10 years.
The report alleged he made the claim while speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, July 14, 202, at the media launch of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, ‘Touching Lives 6.’
NCC said, “The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to a recent statement on an online publication credited to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Olusegun Ogunsanya, to the effect that the mobile operating license of Airtel has been renewed by the Commission for another period of 10 years.
“The Commission wishes to state that while Airtel Nigeria has applied for the renewal of the Unified Access Service (UASL) License granted to it by the Commission, the application is yet to be approved as it is still undergoing the required regulatory process.”
Meanwhile, the telecom giant has denied the report that its license has been renewed, saying Ogunsanya was misquoted.
“During the launch of our flagship corporate social responsibility program titled Airtel Touching Lives, last week, a contrast was drawn between operating license and social license. Whilst the operating license is issued by NCC, we stated that a social license is earned by what a company does for its communities,” Airtel said through Emeka Oparah, Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR.
Airtel added, “However, for clarity, an operating license is always issued by NCC and our current license expires in November 2021. We have applied to NCC for its renewal ahead of this expiry date and the renewal process is in progress but yet to be concluded.”