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Tag: MTN

  • MTN unveils ‘Partner Programme’ aimed at driving enterprise growth

    MTN Nigeria on Thursday unveiled its Partner Programme aimed at driving enterprise growth in Nigeria.

    The Chief Enterprise Business Officer MTN, Mrs Lynda Saint-Nwafor, while unveiling the programme, said that it would add exponential value to its enterprise business customers.

    Theme of the programme was: ”MTN Fusion.”

    “In a bid to add exponential value to its enterprise business customers, as well as the broader business landscape in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria launched a Partner Programme initiative at an inaugural Partner Summit.

    “The Partner Summit will be held annually and will see MTN Nigeria bringing together key stakeholders.

    “It includes MTN Business partners, thought-leaders, Small and Medium Enterprise owners, Large Enterprises and the Public Sector to unveil MTN’s long-awaited Partner Programme.

    “The programme will materially change the way MTN serves the Nigerian enterprise market, enabling local and global partners to become part of the MTN Business solutions offering.

    “MTN knows that they cannot be the subject matter expert in every field in Information and Communications Technology and thus, we believe strongly in partnering with other like-minded companies.

    “We are building a vibrant ecosystem of partners that share our ethos and values to empower Small and Medium Enterprises, drive efficiencies for Large Enterprises and work with the Public Sector to improve citizen engagement,” she said.

    Saint-Nwafor said that partnership had been the bane of MTN service delivery, but increasing complexities and evolving customer needs were reinforcing the need for a more structured approach to partnerships.

    She said that MTN had been engaging partners on case-by-case basis, adding that the partners bring in the needed technology and platforms to co-create new solutions or share their unique expertise and competencies.

    She said that the needed technology would help MTN to develop solutions that drive growth and increase market reach.

    Saint-Nwafor said that the summit also provided MTN with an opportunity to bring their trusted and new partners together to share “our partner operating model and structure’’.

    She said the aim was to make it easier for partners to work with MTN to create the future together, listing MTN Nigeria’s ecosystem of partners to include: Technology, Capability and Channel Partners.

    Read Also: MTN takes musical drama to MUSON

     

    “The Technology Partners are responsible for providing ICT and other complementary technology solutions and services.

    “Capability Partners offer complementary value chain competencies, while Channel Partners expand channels or access to market.

    “MTN Partner Programme initiative will thus be geared toward harnessing the power of partnership in delivering the benefits of a modern connected future to the end user.

    The Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Mr Ferdinand Moolman, said to go far in business needed the partners that would reflect on the ideas and initiatives to build the ecosystem.

    Moolman, represented by Mr Mazen Mroue, Chief Operation Officer, said that the company’s journey has its hard moment, adding that with partners coming in place things became smoother.

    “Today, we are now sitting on a solid ground to think of ways to move forward, to develop the country and grow the business community.

    “MTN’s slogan has been everywhere you go, but today with the right partners, it will be everything is possible,” he said.

    Also, Mr Chika Ekeji of Mckencey and Co, said that the Nigeria Enterprise business was two billion dollars market, which he said needed to be tapped.

    Ekeji said the market opportunity was quite vast and there was no way of going round it alone, adding that it has to be with the partners.

    He said that to capture value of the market optimally, partnerships had two key approaches, which was capabilities and access.

  • MTN takes musical drama to MUSON

    THE re-imagination of five of Africa’s beloved heroes and heroines was showcased at an MTN sponsored show: a three-day of spectacular stage performances of ‘Legends, Kings and Kingdoms: the Musical’ at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

    Running from October 19 to 21, 2018, the musical drama, a collaborative production of Seeing Through the Arts and Declassical Arts & Entertainment, was sponsored by MTN Foundation as part of an awesome lineup of events to mark the 22nd MUSON Festival of the Arts. It was co-directed by an alumnus of the MTN Foundation sponsored MUSON scholarship programme, Ayo Ajayi and boasted such industry veterans as vocalist and lyricist Yinka Davies and Crown Troupe of Africa artistic director, Segun Adefila.

    With an innovative plot that saw a cast of historical African figures team up for a good cause, the production provided an avenue for their ancient acts of heroism, seldom remembered and recognised by most people, to be reimagined and retold in an engaging format that captures the vibrancy of African history and culture in a way that is relevant to a contemporary audience.

    In the play, five African heroes: Nigeria’s Sango, Nana Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti in modern Ghana, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti of Egypt, Shaka, King of the Zulus in modern South Africa and Queen Amina of Zazzau in what is now northern Nigeria, answer the call of a distressed princess to save her people, ‘Modaland,’ from a common foe – the Shadow.

    MTN sponsored this show as part of its foundation’s Arts and Culture initiative in which it is currently sponsoring six productions telling true Nigerian stories across a range of genres – musicals, visual arts and drama productions.

    Organisers say that the Legends show will be back for a second run in mid-December.

  • MTN Partners Sterling Bank on Smartphone Device Financing Scheme

    In a bid to provide more Nigerians with access to the benefits of a digital world, MTN Nigeria in partnership with Sterling Bank and PayJoy has launched a Device Financing Scheme (DFS) to provide opportunity to purchase a smartphone of choice and pay over a period of six months.

    Speaking at the launch, Sales & Distribution Executive, MTN Nigeria, Adekunle Adebiyi said, “MTN wants every customer to benefit from the modern, connected life and it is through partnerships like this that we will see the kind of change that we want to see.”

    Under the DFS, the smartphones ranging from N25, 000–N400, 000 can be purchased by any customer at its current purchase price plus a 20% interest with the Device Financing Scheme. The pilot scheme will start with Samsung smartphones but will be expanded to include other Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs.

    The Device Financing Scheme aims to drive the adoption and uptake of smart devices through the provision of affordable credit facilities to eligible customers. The maximum loan tenure under the scheme is 6 months with pocket-friendly monthly installments, and is open to all customers who meet their credit requirements.

    The loan for the smartphone purchase will be disbursed using Sterling Bank’s Spectra platform, with the Samsung devices secured by PayJoy’s security lock technology and insured for theft, job loss and damage.

    According to Shina Atilola, Group Head, Strategy and New Business at Sterling Bank, “Paying upfront for everything you need can be limiting. However, the launch of DFS will provide customers with an affordable, convenient way to fulfil an important goal – living a better, smarter and more digitally connected life.”

  • MTN to reward content creators at digital content confab

    In a bid to enhance creativity and ensure Nigerians get rewarded for the content they create, MTN Nigeria will be hosting content creators and aggregators to a digital conference November between 4 and 5.

    The telco says Nigerians are very imaginative, adding that all that is need to confirm the abundance of creativity in the country is to visit platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter stressing that one would be amazed at the number of hilarious and fantastic contents dished out daily.

    Many content creators in the country complain of not getting the proper reward for their creativity. The Digital Content Conference 2018 will focus on enabling content creators to get monetised reward for their talent.

    The two days digital content conference will have a workshop session with content creators and aggregators and an award ceremony for subscribers, content creators, owners and aggregators.

    The people to be rewarded were selected after a call for entry campaign, which ran between October 7 and 24.  MTN Nigeria will announce and celebrate the winners during the award ceremony on November 6.

    Award categories include Best Local Channel, Best Local Content, the Most Trending Channel on Social Media (Facebook, Instagram & Twitter Only), Best Engaged Content Provider amongst others.

    Content creators can participate in this conference aimed at increasing content revenue growth by subscribing to MTN Shortz via *700*1# or send a DM to MTNNG on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

  • Sterling, MTN Pay Small Small eyes 141m customers

    More than 141million mobile subscribers in the country using feature phones can now upgrade to smartphones courtesy of Sterling Bank-MTN Pay Small Small device financing scheme unveiled in Lagos yesterday.

    Introduced by Sterling Bank Plc, MTN Nigeria and Technology Distributions Limited (TD), the new scheme democratises the acquisition of smartphones as well as access to the digital ecosystem through smartphones pre-bundled with data.

    Only 13 per cent of Nigeria’s 162 million mobile phone subscribers use smartphones and have robust access to the internet, social and business applications, among others.

    Speaking at the media launch of the scheme  Group Head of Strategy and New Business, Sterling Bank Plc, Shina Atilola, said knowledge and information transforms economies.

    “Our collaboration with MTN Nigeria, Technology Distributions Limited and Payjoy to democratise access to smartphones will make knowledge and information accessible to millions of Nigerians which will improve their lives and well-being.

    “It is important that a lot more Nigerians have the opportunity to engage in societal dialogues irrespective of their social class and education. A person without access to information cannot effectively grow a business, live well and contribute to the economy. We are excited about the strong partnerships forged to deliver Pay Small Small to improve the lives of our people while delivering social impact.”

     

    Atilola further noted that the bank will continue to be at the forefront of seeking valuable partnerships that will enrich the lives of Nigerians. “At Sterling Bank, growing the economy remains our priority, and that is why we always design solutions that will translate into value for Nigerians. This alliance with MTN NIgeria, TD and Payjoy is a testament to the bank’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian is availed the opportunity to own a smart phone with all its attendant benefits which include Insurance cover and free data.”

     

    Also speaking at the event, Gozy Ijogun, Managing Director, Technology Distributions Limited, expressed delight that her organisation is part of the partnership that will increase smartphone penetration with its attendant benefits to Nigerians who ordinarily cannot afford to pay the lump sum that is required to acquire these devices. “Things required for optimum living are paid upfront which makes life difficult for many Nigerians. What we are unveiling today is a revolutionary partnership which makes it possible and affordable for anyone to visit the MTN Nigeria experience centre close to them and walk out with the latest smartphone device with as low as N7,000 (Seven thousand Naira) monthly payment in less than 10 minutes.”

     

    On his part, Abiodun Ajayi, Senior Manager, Data & Devices, MTN Nigeria, said “We believe everyday Nigerians deserve the benefit of a modern well-connected life. Nothing brings this to the fore more than a smartphone which eliminates the hassles associated with visiting cybercafes. However, 80% of Nigerian phone users are excluded and do not have access to smartphones because they cannot afford it. Today, we have unveiled a service that bridges the affordability gap. It will not only improve the lives of millions of Nigerians; this service will also ensure that Nigeria experiences rapid GDP growth.”

     

    Lauding the partnership which will put high quality smartphones in the hands of everyday Nigerians, Dominique Friedl, General Manager, Africa, PAYJOY, said “This is a novel partnership with all stakeholders involved coming to the table to leverage collective strengths to improve the lives of Nigerians through digital and financial inclusion. Financial services is the lifeblood of every economy. However, only 5.3% adults have access to credit in Nigeria. The great reach of mobile technology in the country, Sterling-MTN Pay Small Small service which deploys PAYJOY’s locking technology provides an opportunity to provide financial services to millions of financially excluded Nigerians at lower and more affordable costs thereby boosting financial inclusion. This is about providing financing to millions of Nigerians and helping grow the Nigerian economy.”

  • MTN: CBN inhibiting Nigeria listing

    MTN listing in Nigeria is being challenged by  the allegation of regulatory infractions levelled against it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The telco has completed its listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange.

    In its quarterly report for the period ended on September 30, 2018, and released yesterday, the telco said its listing in Nigeria was facing challenges from the CBN.

    “We successfully completed the listing of MTN Ghana. MTN Nigeria’s plans to list have been challenged by the recent Central Bank of Nigeria and Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria matters.

    “MTN remains committed to the listing in Nigeria and work continues in this regard. In the quarter, the group engaged extensively with authorities in Nigeria to deal with the matters they raised,” the telco said in the report.

    The carrier however boosted sales ahead of targets during the period under review, showing its ability to grow the business even with a major regulatory spat that has rocked shares of Africa’s largest wireless carrier.

    According to the report, “MTN Nigeria had an excellent quarter, increasing service revenue by 17.4 per cent YoY, towards the upper end of our medium-term target for Nigeria of double-digit growth.

    “This was led by a 52,5 per cent increase in data revenue and 21.5 per cent increase in outgoing voice revenue. Data revenue growth was supported by an increase in active data subscribers as well as more smartphones on our network, the result of various CVM and OEM (original equipment manufacturer)-partnership initiatives.

    “Digital revenue declined by 28,5 per cent following the continued optimisation of our value-added services (VAS) business. We completed the final element of this optimisation, suspending auto-renewal of subscriptions, in mid-September which means that digital revenue will continue to be impacted by lower VAS revenue in the fourth quarter, after which we expect it to stabilise.”

    MTN Nigeria reported 17.2 million active data subscribers, up 15.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter, and 2.5 million mobile money customers, up 12.4 per cent QoQ,” the report showed.

    Its Chief Executive Officer Rob Shuter said in a statement yesterday that “these results were delivered in challenging operating and currency conditions”.

    During the quarter, the CBN alleged improper dividend repatriations by MTN Nigeria between 2007 and 2015 of $8.1 billion while the AGF alleged unpaid taxes on foreign payments and imports of approximately $2 billion.

    MTN Nigeria has continued to deny these allegations and claims, stating that it remained resolute that it had not committed any offences and will continue to defend this position vigorously.

  • $8.1bn transfer: Industry watchers want MTN, CBN to resolve amicably

    It is two days to the October 30, date for court to hear the case between Telecommunication giant, MTN and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a dispute over the alleged transfer of $8.1bn of funds by the telecom firm.

    And the position of industry watchers has remained that amicable resolution should be reached in the bid to salvage the industry which has been described as the cash cow to the nation’s emerging economy and the key sector in Government Economic Recovery Plan (GERP).

    Recall that, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has admitted in an interview that the series of sanctions leveled against ICT company, is maligning the country’s reputation in the international community stating that an holistic view critical to sustain the nation’s nursing economy rather than a damping position should be embraced by stakeholders.

    “The MTN incident was a very damaging one for us, that was one of the reasons why we have been out trying to engage investors”, she said at the 24th Nigerian Economic Summit Abuja on Tuesday, 23rd October 2018.

    The telecom company and four banks (Standard Chartered Bank, Citi Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Diamond Bank) have been embroiled in a protracted back and forth, with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the office of the Attorney-General demanding over $10billion for alleged illegal repatriation of dividends as well as tax defaults.

    The minister gave reasons for the sanctions, explaining that “there is a tendency for big business to take regulations and governments for granted.” She continued further in her explanation stating that “After that incident happened, all the information the CBN has been trying to get in two months actually came. Now, they have almost solved the problem.”

    “We are trying to make sure this doesn’t happen again, we are continuously discussing with monetary authorities. There will be no company next after MTN, nobody is next because we can’t afford for this kind of incidence to keep happening,” she added.

    “Nigeria is considered a high-risk country especially after the MTN debacle, investors are not very keen on exposing their investments to state volatility”, @FakhuusHashim, an influential social media user who shared his view on the public matter stated while urging that the pro and cons of the matter be considered thoroughly.

    MTN Nigeria’s Public Relations Manager, Funso Aina, in a statement issued in August confirmed the company’s position, clearly stated that MTN has been cooperating with the government and all necessary information required had been provided by the telecommunications company and these have been exhaustively reviewed and cleared in 2016/2017.

    In a following statement issued by the company in September, the company further stressed these points and its historic engagements with the Nigerian authorities.

    “It is both regrettable and disconcerting that despite the historic engagements with the Nigerian authorities by MTN Nigeria, the Senate investigation into the CCI matter, and the multiple tax assessments done by the Nigerian tax authorities over many years that were satisfactorily concluded, that these matters are being reopened.”

    During a 2016 Senate investigation into alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous) Act by MTN, the bank regulator, had said that the company was not in breach of any provision of the law with respect to the Certificates of Capital Importation, in effect, concurring with the company.

    But two years after CBN said MTN contributed to depleting the country’s reserves through the purchase of dollars via unapproved certificates. MTN has denied any wrongdoing.

    Nigeria faced a severe shortage of dollars in 2016 caused by low oil prices, leading to a sharp devaluation of the naira. The currency crisis triggered a recession, which the country emerged from last year.

    MTN said it paid the naira equivalent to purchase a total of $8.1bn from the central bank in several tranches over a nine-year period and that it did not negatively impair the reserves.

    The pending civil cases will be heard on the 30th of October and 8th of November.

  • Football: MTN, Arsenal Hold 3-Day Coaching Clinic in Lagos

    As part of the continued effort to identify and coach the best young footballing talents in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria and top Premier League club, Arsenal Football Club, are once again holding a 3-day coaching clinic for 128 young players and 30 coaches from October 26-28, 2018 at the legacy pitch of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

    The clinic will provide the young talents with the necessary technical support, knowledge and skillset required to thrive at international level, as well as empower local coaches to build better teams and develop better stars.

    Speaking on the coaching clinic and the company’s partnership with Arsenal, MTN’s General Manager, Brands and Communications, Richard Iweanoge said, “Like all Nigerians, our love for the beautiful game continues to grow with every new season. We are also passionate about developing the game in Nigeria, which is why we are pleased to work with Arsenal (one of the very best teams in England) to make this happen.”

    He further reiterated that with the coaching clinic “MTN hopes to raise future Nigerian stars that will be the next Alex Iwobi, Kanu Nwankwo or Lionel Messi and make their mark at the world stage.”

    The coaching clinic will feature both theoretical and practical sessions facilitated by Arsenal Soccer School coaches and Arsenal legend, Lauren, who was a member of the famous “Invincibles” team that won the Premier League title in 2004.

  • MTN unveils revamped XtraValue proposition

    Telecoms giant,  MTN yesterday in Lagos unveiled its revamped XtraValue proposition.

    The event also marked the formal launch of a partnership between MTN and top actress, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, who now becomes the face of XtraValue and stars in the latest TV commercials.

    Speaking at the event, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Marketing Officer, Rahul De said the tariff plan was revamped “to give customers optimal experience and value for money. XtraValue did quite well when it was first launched in May 2016 and we saw the need to optimize the experience and improve the value offered to customers. We did this by introducing new functionalities such as roaming to ensure greater customer experience on the plan. This relaunch is in furthereance of MTN’s commitment to delivering tailor-made offerings that meet our subscribers’ needs.”

    MTN’s XtraValue bundle plan offers the best of both worlds for data and voice calls on a single proposition. It is available in two categories – XtraTalk (which offers customers more airtime for voice calls than data volume) and XtraData (which offers customers more data volume and airtime for voice calls).

    For example customers can now enjoy 2.5Gb data plus N2,500 talktime on XtraData 2000, and there are 15 other variants of this bundle ranging from N300 to N20,000.  In addition, high value customers on this package will not only enjoy the best data and voice offers but will also benefit from new add-ons such as roaming in 41 countries.

    Also speaking at the launch, Dakore said: “I think the XtraValue package was made just for me, as it helps me manage my busy schedule whenever I travel. I really love the roaming feature as it means I can use the same line in different countries at an affordable cost.“

    Customers can subscribe to an XtraValue bundle plan by dialling *131*2# to select the preferred bundle type and *556# or *559*61# to check XtraValue balances. To see all available bundles, visit https://mtnonline.com/xtravalue.

     

  • $18b: MTN seeks fair deal

    Telecoms firm MTN is holding talks with Nigerian officials to find a “mutually acceptable solution” to the dispute over the alleged transfer of $8.1 billion, the firm said yesterday in a statement from Johannesburg.

    It said further announcement on the issue would be made in due course, advising “shareholders to continue to exercise caution when dealing in the company’s securities until a further announcement is made.”

    MTN and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are in a dispute over the transfer of $8.1 billion which the bank said the company had sent abroad and breaches foreign-exchange regulations.

    But CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said while addressing reporters on October 7 in London that the CBN may reduce the amount it had ordered MTN Nigeria to repatriate.

    Emefiele said new documents provided by the telecom company would help to reduce the size of the claim.

    “I don’t think it will be staying at $8.1billion. I want to believe that the figure will reduce. Whether it will be dropped completely, I honestly cannot say at this time,” he added.

    The CBN chief said the apex bank had received documents about four weeks ago from MTN and four lenders involved in the case.

    The lenders are Standard Chartered, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Citibank and Diamond Bank.

    Emefiele said the apex bank was in communication with all parties involved.