4. Bourdex Telecommunications Limited, a pioneer mobile telecommunications company licensed in 1997 by the federal government of Nigeria to provide fixed and mobile telephony in the nine eastern states of the South East and South South of Nigeria, became operational on July 28, 1998 as the only alternative to the then government owned NITEL. The existence of Bourdex Telecom brought tremendous economic improvement to the entire South East and South South of Nigeria. Bourdex Telecom was later sold to Visafone in 2007. Bourdex Telecom holds a pioneer status awarded to it by the Federal Government of Nigeria.