As 9mobile Gets New CEO For Business Transformation, What Are The Options Before Obafemi Banigbe ?
The Oasis Reporters
July 10, 2024
9mobile, Nigeria’s fourth largest telecom operator by market size, has appointed Obafemi Banigbe as its new chief executive officer.
According to a statement, this strategic move marks a significant step in the company’s broader plan to initiate a new phase of business transformation.
The question on the lips of telecommunications watchers, is what manner of business transformation is Obafemi Banigbe going to carry out, is it the revamping of the current model or a brand new route and new ways of doing business?
Formerly known as Etisalat Nigeria, 9mobile was acquired by Teleology Holdings with the vision of a turnaround.
However, the operator has continued to face challenges in the Nigerian market. Since its peak of 22 million subscribers in October 2016, 9mobile has seen a decline, dropping to just over 15 million in November 2018. Currently, the operator has 11.7 million voice subscribers and 3.3 million internet users, according to the National Bureau of Statistics Telecoms Data released on Monday.
The statement further disclosed that Banigbe, who is a seasoned telecom expert and technology business leader, brings extensive experience at the C-suite level and a profound understanding of the African business landscape.
Banigbe added, “I am delighted to join the 9mobile family and I look forward to using my experience and unique value propositions to lead the company in the next exciting phase of its journey.”
Nigerians who are currently reeling from the onslaught of quick vanishing data and high costs of spending on data, crucial for day to day technology business, would welcome a relief from the economic hardships being experienced by all Nigerians.
Right from the days of Etisalat network until when the parent company in Dubai disowned Etisalat Nigeria forcing the Nigerian subsidiary to stop using its brand name within seven days and it transforming to become 9mobile, the network used to be robust, but with slightly more expensive data costs.
Yet customers loved it. It’s resiliency was applauded despite the crippling debt it was saddled with by the then management before it was disowned by Etisalat in Dubai.
Nigerians are happy that the firm hung in there and seemed to have largely crawled out of it’s crippling bottlenecks.
To breathe better, 9mobile has a new Chief Executive Officer at a time data costs have reached an all time high.
Will Obafemi Banigbe work hard to take 9mobile out of it’s floods by raising the cost of data in order to stay afloat or fashion a new path that may push the network from it’s fourth position to the first position by exploring new business models?
The choice is his. How he navigates the terrain would reveal the mettle the CEO is being hyped about for.
Greg Abolo
gregabolo@gmail.com .
