THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY ON SALES PERFORMANCE

The World is fast becoming a global village and a necessary tool for this process is communication of which communication is a key player.

The development in the telecommunication industry all over the world is very rapid as one innovation replaces another in a matter of weeks.  A major breakthrough is the wireless telephone system which comes in either fixed wireless telephone lines or the global system of mobile communication (GSM) communication without doubt is a major driver of any economy. Emerging trends in socio economic growth shows a high premium being placed on information and communication technology (ICT) by homes, organization and nations.

Nigeria is not left out in this race for rapid development as the nation’s economy has been subject to years of economic reversal via mismanagement and bad leadership. The Nigeria telecommunication  sector was grossly underdeveloped before the sector was deregulated under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babagida in 1992 with the establishment  of a regulatory body; the Nigeria Communication Commission  (NCC). So far the NCC has issued various licenses to private communication operators this include (7) seven fixed telephone providers that have activated 90,000 lines; 45 Internet Service Providers with a customer of about 17,000. Several VSAT service providers are in operations and have improved financial intermediation by providing on-line banking services to bank in Nigeria. These licenses allowed Private Telephone  Operators ( PTOs)  to roll out both fixed wireless telephone lines and analogue mobile phones. The return of democracy in 1992 paved the way for the granting of GSM license to (3) three service providers: MTN NIGERIA, CELTEL WIRELESS NIGERIA AND NITEL PLC  now TRANSCORP in 2001.