Starcomms Shines Again at NigeriaTelecoms Award

Starcomms Plc., Nigeria’s leading CDMA telecommunication network, has been awarded the CDMA network of the year (2010) in the seventh edition of the Nigerian Telecom Awards that took place in Lagos at the weekend. Also, Chief Maan Lababidi, OON, the founder of Starcomms, was presented with a Gold Award in the personality category.

While presenting the award to the Chief Executive Officer of Starcomms, Mr. Logan Pather, the former minister of information, Chief Alex Akinyele, who is also the vice chairman of the board of trustees of the Nigerian Telecom Awards, noted that the award which was the last to be presented at the event, crowned all the awards because of the excellence which the company stands for.

Akinyele said this year’s awards ceremony was organized to recognize and reward personalities and companies in the Nigerian telecommunications industry. These companies and individuals have - through thick and thin - ensured the rapid development of the telecommunications industry in the last ten years of existence since the revolution began in Nigeria.

Responding to the award presentation, the Starcomms CEO thanked the board of trustees of the award, led by veteran broadcaster and diplomat, Ambassador Olusegun Olusola, for recognizing the efforts of Starcomms in bringing innovative and excellent services to its customers.

“It has also been a challenge for us to maintain the global standards of our offering to the public as a CDMA network, but this has kept us going long before the advent of other technologies in the Nigerian market, even till now. The recognition given to us through this award can only ginger us to continue to make more values and innovations available to our customers. And we are committed to surpassing our own standards in serving them,” Pather admitted.

As Chief Lababidi received his own award, which was ably presented by the Hon. Minister of Communications & Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, he said that the telecommunication revolution started long before the arrival of foreign GSM companies in Nigeria.

Chief Lababidi further reiterated that the revolution started since 1998, when Nigerian companies invested money in the provision of alternative telephone access to the Nigerian people since the government-owned network was the only available option.

The organizers of the Awards, Logica Communications Limited, said the Gold Award was given to Chief Lababidi because of his immense contributions and accomplishments in the telecom sector.

According to them, “Maan Lababidi is one of the earliest investors in telecom in Nigeria. His investment in telecoms’ industry paved way for floodgate of interests in the sector today. He is the founder of the first successfully managed and most formidable CDMA operator in Nigeria.”

The company applauded Lababidi for his foresight and vision.