The Federal Government has granted a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) to Swift Telephone Network Limited (STN) making it the new telecom operator in the country.STN, which made the announcement on Wednesday, said it would disclose its rollout plans in the coming weeks.
The Federal Government has granted a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) to Swift Telephone Network Limited (STN) making it the new telecom operator in the country.STN, which made the announcement on Wednesday, said it would disclose its rollout plans in the coming weeks. The new company, which is indigenously owned, will be slugging it out with MTN, Airtel, Globacom, T-2mobile (9mobile) and Lebara, in a market already dominated by the first three early comers. But experts said the latest licence could mark the beginning of a new chapter for the highly competitive Nigeria’s digital economy in a period when many Nigerians’ purchasing power has weakened due to high inflation. Adetunji Adeyanju, a telecom industry analyst, said STN like every other telecom operators, still has a huge market to explore only if it offers Nigerians fantastic services.
“The market has yet to be saturated, population is there and a new company just need to study the market and give the users the best services”, Adeyanju told Daily Trust in an interview. Mikail Olohuntoba, an economist, said STN’s entrance might bring down cost of telecom services as Nigerians will now have more choices to pick from. “More choices mean fierce competition. Competition brings about good services with lower price offers to consumers “, Olohuntoba said. The Managing Director/CEO of STN, Oluwole Adetuyi said the company is committed to: “Skills development for engineers and digital professionals; partnerships with Nigerian vendors and service providers; expanding connectivity to bridge the digital divide; creating opportunities across the telecom value chain and building indigenous technical capabilities.”STN’S Director, Legal and Regulatory,Yetunde Okafor added:
“Our ambition is clear. To build a telecommunications company that is proudly Nigerian in its roots, global in its outlook, and transformational in its impact. “We want to connect people to opportunities, businesses to customers, and Nigeria to the possibilities of the digital future.”Adetuyi said STN would announce strategic partnerships and roll-out plans in the coming weeks.Built on resilience, STN’s story is the story of Nigerian enterprise — businesses that survive, adapt, and reinvent rather than surrender. Daily Trust reports that STN was founded in 1998 by Late Barr. (Mrs.) Clara Adetuyi.STN began as a modest umbrella and table calling spot to support the Nigerian University Games (NUGA). By 1999–2000, STN introduced voicemail services to the University of Lagos community, the first of its kind. In 2003, STN became the first provider of digital landline services in Yaba, at a time when neither NITEL nor other operators had deployed digital telephony there.
That same year, STN helped power WAEC Direct, enabling millions of candidates to check results.STN went on to provide landline services to the Nigeria Military, World Health Organisation and major government parastatals.In 2005, STN chose independence and secured its own operational licences from the NCC. The name change was approved in 2008.However, like many Nigerian businesses, STN faced challenges, as its operations ceased in November 2010 following infrastructure loss and boardroom issues.
But in February 2017, Oluwole Adetuyi revived the company. Joined by Yetunde Okafor, they began the painstaking work of rebuilding. After settling regulatory obligations and reinstating its licence in 2019, STN resumed operations in September.COVID-19 then forced another pivot. Enterprise demand collapsed. STN chose transformation over standing still.On 22 February 2022, STN formally submitted its application for the Unified Access Service Licence which was granted and made known yesterday. “This licence is not the destination. It is the bridge. From a small business centre in 1998 to a UASL operator in 2026, the journey has been long. But the journey has never stopped,” said Managing Director/ CEO, Oluwole Adetuyi.
