Despite the current economic challenges that have adversely gripped the telecommunications industry, ZTE Nigeria Limited, at the weekend, expressed its commitment to continue investment in the economy, especially in the development of local human capital.

ZTE Nigeria Limited is the Nigerian subsidiary of ZTE Corporation which is one of the leading multinational ICT solution and service providers in the world.

The firm which is listed in the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchange Market, operates in 160 countries with a total turnover of over 15 Billion USD and over 60,000 staff.

The company’s Head of Administration, Yawei Yang, said in Lagos that ZTE Nigeria Limited, which started operations in 2002, with hundreds of direct and indirect Nigerian employees, has impacted positively on Nigeria’s economy through execution of a number of viable projects.

Such projects include the national project for government and telecommunication project for operators in Nigeria.

“We recognised the current situation in Nigeria; but we are going to maintain our high standard in terms of service delivery and our commitment to good welfare package for our staff.

“We are among the few telecom companies that allow all our staff to unionise, we have generous welfare packages that include trainings and sundry allowances even including mobile phone allowance because of our believe in the development of the local workforce,” Yang stated.

According to her, the company has a good industrial relations package for its staff in line with global best practices.

“We have not outsourced any of our operations outside Nigeria as some telecoms firms are currently doing to cut costs; only 17 per cent of our entire workforce are foreigners and we have always operated within the ambit of the Extant Immigration laws and Regulations of Nigeria 2015 and all other administrative directives,” she said.

Contrary to insinuations, the firm said it staff embark on routine visit to Nigeria for business but never abused expatriate quota.

Yang said: “It is true that our ZTE China staff routinely visit Nigeria on Business Visa as support group for discussions with telecommunication operators to enable us have good business prospects leading to signing of agreement which unfortunately has not been successful since 2014.

“It is the practice and this is for most foreign companies operating in Nigeria that those coming for such business discussions come with Business Visas because that is just for short visit and it is allowed under the law. They only come around when we are have some business discussions and then travel out of Nigeria within a short time. The law is there for all to see.”

While maintaining that ZTE have always been above board with all laws including those relating to taxes and pensions, Yang, however, regretted that the downturn of the nation’s economy has adversely affected the telecom industry which, unfortunately led to the redundancy of some Nigerian and Chinese staff.

“We however have faith in the resilience of this country and her people and will continue to do our part to ensure a return of boom in the Nigerian telecom industry,” Yang said.

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