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By Chinenye Anuforo
Swift Telephone Network Limited (STN), an indigenous telecommunications company, has secured a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), marking a major milestone in its efforts to expand operations in Nigeria’s telecoms sector.
The licence, according to the company, followed years of regulatory engagement, planning and efforts to rebuild its operations after a period of business disruption.
Founded in 1998 by the late Barrister Clara Adetuyi, STN began as a small umbrella and table calling centre established to support the National University Games Association (NUGA) Games.
The company said it introduced voicemail services to the University of Lagos community between 1999 and 2000, describing the service as the first of its kind in the community.
In 2003, STN deployed digital landline services in Yaba, Lagos, while also contributing to the development of WAEC Direct, a platform that enabled candidates to check their examination results.
The company subsequently provided landline services to the Nigerian military, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and government parastatals.
STN secured its own operational licences from the NCC in 2005, while its name change was approved in 2008.
However, its operations were suspended in November 2010 following infrastructure losses and boardroom challenges.
The company was revived in February 2017 by Oluwole Adetuyi, who, alongside Yetunde Okafor, embarked on efforts to rebuild the business.
Following the settlement of regulatory obligations and reinstatement of its licence in 2019, STN resumed operations in September of that year.
The COVID-19 pandemic subsequently disrupted its enterprise business, prompting the company to reposition its operations.
On February 22, 2022, STN formally submitted its application for a Unified Access Service Licence, which has now been granted by the NCC.
Speaking on the development, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oluwole Adetuyi, described the licence as a significant step in the company’s journey.
“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,” he said.
Adetuyi said the company’s experience reflected the resilience of indigenous Nigerian businesses that continue to adapt and reinvent themselves despite operational challenges.
He said STN’s priorities would include skills development for engineers and digital professionals, partnerships with Nigerian vendors and service providers, expansion of connectivity to bridge the digital divide, and the creation of opportunities across the telecommunications value chain.
The company also pledged to strengthen indigenous technical capabilities as it expands its operations.
Also speaking, STN’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Yetunde Okafor, said the company was committed to building a Nigerian telecommunications business with international outlook and impact.
“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,” she said.
STN said it would announce its strategic partnerships and rollout plans in the coming weeks.
