Bharti-Airtel, the new owners of Zain Nigeria, has signaled its intention to adopt Number Portability as a means of giving Nigerian customers the freedom of choice.

The Chief Executive Officer, International  Bharti-Airtel,  Manoj Kholi, who stated this during a visit to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), also expressed the readiness of the company to share infrastructure with other operators on all of its sites to fast-track the expansion of coverage and capacity across the country.

Kolhi, who visited NCC with the new Chairman of the company, Mr. Oba Otudeko advocated the immediate introduction of number portability, stating that it would increase competition in the telecommunications market and challenge operators to improve the quality of their operations.

He expressed appreciation to the regulator for supporting the company to acquire Zain Nigeria and pledged its commitment to the development of the industry through investments in infrastructure and introduction of innovative products and services.

While admitting that quality of service is not the best in Nigeria, he declared that Bharti-Airtel would focus immediately on quality of service and affordability, which are the two most pressing demands of Nigerian telecommunications consumers.

The Acting EVC of NCC, Dr. Bashir Gwandu expressed delight at the commitment of Bharti-Airtel to focus on quality and affordability, saying they were the two most important issues currently in the telecommunications industry.