Embattled telecoms company Etisalat Nigeria has unveiled its new identity following Etisalat International's decision to pull its brand out of Nigeria due to its inability to reach a decision with a consortium of local banks it is indebted to.

Henceforth, the company will now be referred to as 9Mobile.

Chief Executive Officer Boye Olusanya said the new brand will resonate with subscribers, especially the youth, and is a deliberate representation and confirmation of the company's heritage - and another phase of its evolution over 9 years of operations in Nigeria.

"A strong and resilient Nigerian spirit continues to reside in us, uniting us with our subscribers, confident that you will continue to believe in our new brand, which strongly reflects our innate creativity and youthfulness," Olusanya said.

He urged subscribers to be patient while the company migrates to the new brand over the next few months.

In a swift reaction, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has denied knowledge of the brand name change and said it is yet to be officially notified of the development.

"We have not received any official communication from Etisalat on change of name. We take the news of change of name as rumour for now until we are informed," said NCC spokesperson Tony Ojobo.