The aim, said the company, is to support Nigeria-based businesses, which are growing and transforming thanks to digital technologies, as well as multinational companies from elsewhere on the continent and beyond, which are looking to expand within Africa.
“The expanded Orange Business Services presence in Lagos helps support the many Nigeria-based businesses who want to increase their business performance and profitability,” said Giorgio Heiman, Africa VP at Orange Business Services. “We act as a trusted advisor to help our customers compete on an equal footing in what is rapidly becoming a global market. This includes competitive, high-quality IT services delivered in all countries in which they operate.”
The move comes following a period of considerable expansion by Orange in west Africa. It has taken over mobile operations in a number of neighbouring countries, though does not have a mobile business in Nigeria.
“We place great emphasis on local presence in our markets,” said Heiman. “There are many growth opportunities in IT, particularly in high-growth markets like Nigeria and across west Africa, but these can only be harnessed if service providers have a local understanding of strategic, political and cultural sensitivities in a region. Orange delivers consistently reliable telecommunications across Africa, including in hard-to-reach places and in jurisdictions where the regulatory environment is still developing.”
