The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has granted Swift Telephone Network Limited (STN) a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) to operate as a full telecom company in Nigeria.

This means Nigeria now has a new licensed telecom operator joining MTN, Airtel, Glo and T2 (9mobile).

The company disclosed the licence in a statement on Thursday. According to the NCC database, the licence took effect from October 1, 2026 and is renewable after 10 years.

The UASL authorises STN to provide a full range of telecom services including voice, data, fixed and mobile telecommunications, national long distance and international gateway services under a single licence.

CEO of STN, Oluwole Adetuyi, described it as a new chapter for the indigenous company which started as a telephone call centre in 1998 before evolving into a telecoms firm.

“This UASL is not just a licence. It is a new chapter. It represents where we started, what we have endured, how we have evolved, and where we are going. We are building in Nigeria, for Nigeria,” Adetuyi said.

STN said it plans to roll out telecom infrastructure, expand connectivity to help bridge Nigeria’s digital divide, train Nigerian engineers and technicians, and create jobs in distribution and retail.

The new entrant is coming into a highly concentrated market. NCC data for July 2026 shows MTN with 100.86 million subscribers (51.76%) and Airtel with 66.76 million (34.26%), jointly controlling 86% of the market, while Globacom has 23.63 million and T2 has 3.61 million.

STN said it will announce its infrastructure rollout plans, strategic partnerships and investor engagements in the coming weeks as it prepares for commercial operations.‾