Expert wants government to decrease stake in NITEL

A Lagos telecommunications expert has suggested that the federal government decrease its ownership in Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) as much as possible rather than allow for the continued deterioration of the company.

Titi Omo-Ettu, CEO of The Executive Cyberschull, made his recommendations while delivering a paper -- "The Good and the Bad of Nigeria's Telecommunications Revolution" -- at the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry's annual ICT symposium last weekend.

"Wind down NITEL by auctioning the license of Nigeria's First National Operator and then pay off Transcorp [NITEL's majority stakeholder]," he urged.

By winding down NITEL now, Omo-Ettu said, the company's value of about US$2.2 billion could still pave the way for its privatization and allow the government to sell it to a new core investor.

Nigerians cannot afford to be told, "There is nothing more to sell in NITEL," he said. "It would mean that those who schemed to destroy NITEL have actually achieved their ultimate aim, which is that of devaluing NITEL for ulterior motive."

Omo-Ettu also reiterated the call to fix Nigeria's public power supply and advocated for a repeat of the revolution that took place in the telecom industry.

"Let us try the model we have used for telecom and stop throwing money at the problem," he advised, insisting that liberalization will change the power sector for the better.