The Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, has praised Airtel Nigeria for its commitment to compliance over the pursuit of profit.
Dr. Pantami gave the commendation on Tuesday in his office, when the Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa formerly CEO of Airtel Nigeria visited the minister to introduce his successor, Mr. Surendran Chemmenkotil.
The Honorable Minister commended Mr. Ogunsanya for his commitment to prioritise compliance over profit saying that in several interactions with himself as well as the Ministerial Committee, the Airtel Africa Chief never hesitated in restating his commitment to compliance as a critical part of modern business.
According to the Minister, much as we recognise the fact that investors are in business to make profit, it is also an imperative for businesses to comply with the laws and regulations of the industry and I am delighted to say Airtel with the leadership of Mr. Ogunsanya has done very well in this regard.
He regretted the impact of the recent network shutdowns in parts of the North due to military operations saying that it was a temporary measure to secure the country from banditry and insurgency.
He congratulated Mr. Ogunsanya on his deserved elevation to the position of Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa stating that his record of consistent high performance and excellent leadership capabilities speak volumes. He prayed for his success in his new position and welcomed the new CEO of the Nigerian operation to Nigeria, charging him to build on the remarkable record set by his predecessor.
Dr. Pantami also expressed his delight with the tremendous growth that the telecommunications industry has recorded with a resounding 17.5% contribution to the country’s GDP in the second half of 2021.
Speaking earlier, Mr. Ogunsanya had expressed profound appreciation to the Honorable Minister for his support to him personally and Airtel Nigeria as a business. In his words, “you have done a great deal to support our business and indeed the growth of the telecommunications industry and I pray for your continued success.”
Mr. Ogunsanya, who led Airtel Nigeria for over 9 years, was recently appointed the Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, which has operations in 14 African countries.
