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Nokia Corporation, the Finish telecoms giant, has pledged to remain in the Nigerian market after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) closed the company’s offices in Lagos for operating without a license.

"The temporary closing of our administrative office in Lagos is an important matter to us. We continue to closely collaborate with NCC and are accelerating our efforts to quickly regularize our license,” Nokia said in a statement released on Thursday.

Nokia said it remains fully committed to delivering world-class connectivity solutions to the Nigerian market and positively contributing to the country socio-economic development.
 
On Wednesday, NCC officials sealed Nokia’s offices in Lekki after the regulator said that the telecoms equipment manufacturer had been operating in Nigeria without a license for four years. NCC officials said Nokia had applied for a license three months ago, but failed to complete the process.

“It is criminal for any service provider to operate in the country without license,” said Salisu Abdul, Head, Enforcement Unit, NCC. “The license is barely two million naira to obtain. We have sealed off the premises and we will not open it till they comply . . . We might have to levy a fine against Nokia before unsealing the premises.”

Nokia Corporation, which is best known for its mobile devices, has now become one of the largest telecom equipment manufacturers in the world since the company paid $15.6 billion last year to acquire Alcatel-Lucent, a French telecoms firm. (Nokia sold its mobile division to Microsoft for $6 billion in 2013).