The Nation Newspaper

Tag: MTN

  • Lagos partners MTN on security

    Lagos partners MTN on security

    The Lagos State Government yesterday unveils a code, 9999, with which Lagosians can donate to the special purpose vehicle – Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) with which it is changing the security architecture of the state.

    The government said this followed a deal it sealed with MTN Nigeria Limited, on collection of donation towards the Fund.

    LSSTF Executive Secretary Dr Abdulrazaq Balogun, said the development was part of the strategy to provide wide range of avenues for Lagosians to contribute towards the fund, thereby scaling up the provision of security for the people.

    Balogun said through the partnership, MTN subscribers would be able to donate N50 to the fund at a time, by just texting ‘HELP to 9999.’

    He urged Lagosians to make the donation a continuous one, adding that with her huge population and its goodwill, this would not be impossible for the state

    He said: “The Lagos State Security Trust Fund is delighted to announce a partnership with MTN on collection of donation to the fund. This is one of the avenues we are providing to allow teeming Lagosians who are eager and willing to contribute to the Fund to be able to do so.

    “The fund, in the past and still counting, has donated and still donating several equipment and vehicles to security outfits in the state to enhance their capability to perform optimally towards securing lives and property of the residents,” Balogun said.

  • MTN fetes Kano customers at Iftar

    Communications giant MTN on Monday organised an Iftar (Breaking of fast) with some of its customers in Kano.

    Chief Operating Officer (COO) Muhammad Siddiqui, who led top management of the company to the event, said it was done in living up to the renewed commitment to make customer satisfaction the hub of its operations.

    Guests at the FABs Centre and Events engaged with top MTN management, asked questions and shared observations about products and services while breaking the day’s Ramadan fast

    Siddiqui said: “At special times like this, MTN understands the need to show appreciation to our dear customers and enhance the emotional connection we share with them. For our dear customers of the Islamic faith, this holy month of Ramadan provides us that unique opportunity to do so”.

    The Iftar event is one of several ‘Voice of the Customer’ initiatives that kicked off this year, with forums in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Each session has been marked by vibrant dialogue covering a wide range of topics, such as discussion on the state of the industry, feedback on MTN products and services, suggestions on service improvements, etc.

    According to Muhammad Siddiqui, “This approach is in line with our stakeholder management strategy to proactively and effectively engage our customers, with a view to understanding how we can serve them better and ultimately fulfil our mission – to make our customers lives a whole lot brighter!”

  • Senate moves against telecoms over dropped calls

    Senate moves against telecoms over dropped calls

    Worried by the growing cases of mobile telephone dropped calls, the Senate has ordered investigation into causes of the problem, even as it chided the GSM service providers for inefficiency and poor service delivery.

    The Senate also warned the service providers against unsolicited calls and SMS that flood subscribers’ telephone lines on a daily basis, even as it kicked against illegal deductions of airtime for frivolous product subscriptions without the subscribers’ consent.

    At its plenary on Tuesday, the upper legislative chamber mandated its standing committees on Communications and Trade and Investment to investigate the matter.

    It also urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON) and other regulatory agencies to invoke the appropriate sanctions against the service providers.

    Urging the agencies to protect the millions of mobile telephone subscribers in the country, the Senate said the telecom firms must not be allowed flout extant agreements and regulations on consumer protection.

    The lawmakers further urged the relevant regulatory agencies to ensure refund to subscribers for disrupted calls and unsolicited airtime deductions.

    According to the senators, the regulatory agencies should exercise more control regarding the usage of data bundles to ensure regulatory and operational efficiency in service delivery.

    The resolutions were made following a motion sponsored by Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South).

    Presenting the motion, Uba protested the loss of billions of Naira by millions of Nigerian subscribers on a daily basis, as a result of what he described as unwholesome practices by the telecom firms.

    Uba said subscribers not only experience disturbing rate of dropped calls but also get incomprehensible speech and voice quality “that sounds like speaking from the bottom of a fish tank”.

    The lawmaker also expressed worry over congestion on the various networks leading to poor audio reception and poor delivery on the various data bundles.

    The Senate specifically fingered the major network providers like MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom for expanding their network coverage beyond what their existing infrastructure could conveniently accommodate.
     

  • MTN holds customer forum in Abuja

    MTN Nigeria has restated its commitment to providing world class service to its over 60 million subscribers nationwide.

    At a special customer engagement forum at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, tagged “An Evening to Connect”, the Chief Operating Officer, Muhammad Zia Siddiqui, said: “Beyond our various customer touch points, we cherish moments such as this, when we have one-on-one interactions with our customers. One of the things MTN is doing more this year, is listening, celebrating and delighting customers.

    “We take customer feedback very seriously and in fact, we are only happy when our customers are happy. Our customers’ needs are paramount”

    The evening was part of ongoing efforts to appreciate customers’ loyalty.

    Siddiqui described the forum as an opportunity for MTN customers to engage in frank and open discussions with the brand, saying the forum will enable MTN’s senior management to feel the pulse of its customers, as well as address and resolve critical issues and complaints.

    Some customers who attended the forum were the Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Aziz and Executive Director Progammes, NTA Eugenia Abu, and others.

    Guests were serenaded with light music by a saxophonist, Perpetual Atife, who is an alumnus of the MTN Foundation Music Scholars Initiative.

  • Kano grants N221m waiver to MTN

    The intervention of the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta, has secured a permit fee waiver of N221 million for MTN Nigeria in Kano State.

    A similar intervention by the NCC boss in Ogun State last year, resulted in unsealing of 47 base stations  under lock and key,  while the state governor, Mr Ibikunle Amosun,  also reduced ground rent fee owed by IHS Towers from N370 million to N120 million.

    It was gathered that some workers of Huawei, working on telecoms infrastructure expansion in Kano on behalf of the MTN Nigeria, were arrested by the officials of government’s agency, Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KANUPDA), a development which stopped the project.

    The situation could have adverse effects on Quality of Service (QoS) experience among millions of service subscribers in the state and beyond before it was swiftly nipped in the bud.

  • Data raises MTN’s revenue by 11.6% despite loss of subscribers

    • Firm explains sack of 280 workers

    Despite a 2.3 percent decline in MTN Nigeria subscriber base, the Group reported 7.1 per cent rise in its first-quarter revenue driven by a strong performance in data services, it said yesterday.

    MTN Nigeria said it “had a strong start to the year with an 11.6 per cent increase in total revenue, supported by a 71.3 per cent boost in data revenue”.

    It added that while the momentum is encouraging, the ongoing review of value-added services subscribers will put pressure on digital revenue for the balance of the year.

    This was impacted by new regulations that require all subscriber connections to take place in permanent brick-and-mortar structures. It says this led to a marked reduction in gross connections across the industry.

    MTN said data revenue, which contributed 20 per cent of total revenue, was up 29.4 per cent for the three months ended March 31.

    Its Group Chief Executive Rob Shuter, in a statement, said: “In our key markets of South Africa, Nigeria and Iran, significant network investments made over the past few years are underpinning the improving revenue trends.

    “The network investment planned for 2017 is expected to support further market share gains across our markets.”

    Meanwhile, the telco yesterday justified its sack of 280 workers in its Nigeria arm, stressing that it was designed to balance individual employee needs with business exigencies.

    “MTN is a diverse community of committed change agents, brought together in pursuit of a common goal – driving growth and transformation by sharing our technology. Our people are our greatest asset, each individual’s knowledge, experience and ideas contributes to our continued growth and improvement. As such, ensuring a healthy and highly motivated workforce is a priority for us.

    It is with this in mind that MTN Nigeria has implemented a Voluntary Severance Scheme designed to balance individual employee needs with business exigencies. The programme was designed drawing on feedback from employees and following consultation with elected employee representatives. It provides a financial incentive and opportunity for employees who have worked with MTN for over five years to pursue other career interests and personal ambitions full-time, while increasing opportunities for professionals with a fresh perspective wishing to join the MTN family,” the telco explained.

    According to MTN, the successful conclusion of the scheme last week made it possible for it to tailor the competence and experience base of its workforce to meet technology shifts and future business needs.

    “MTN is unrelentingly committed to Nigeria, and continues to execute its strategy of attracting, developing and retaining the best Nigerian talent. This is in line with the ongoing business transformation to drive sustained growth and thereby facilitate MTN’s continued role as a partner for progress and socio-economic development in Nigeria.

    “The management of MTN appreciates the contributions of former colleagues and wishes them well in their future endeavours. Our focus at this time is securing the well-being of employees as we work together to forge the future, and deliver exceptional quality to our customers,” MTN said.

    Year-to-date capital expenditure stands at 4.6 billion rand, MTN said.

  • South Africa’s MTN records higher first quarter revenue

    MTN Group reported a 7.1 per cent rise in first-quarter group revenue helped by a strong performance in data services, the mobile phone operator said on Wednesday.

    MTN said in Johannesburg that data revenue, which contributed 20 per cent of total revenue, was up 29.4 per cent for the three months ended March 31.

    As result, shares in MTN were up 1.36 per cent to 128.52 rand at early trading.

    “In our key markets of South Africa, Nigeria and Iran, significant network investments made over the past few years are underpinning the improving revenue trends,” Group Chief Executive Rob Shuter said.

    “The network investment planned for 2017 is expected to support further market share gains across our markets.”

    Year-to-date capital expenditure stands at 4.6 billion rand, MTN said.

    Ratings agency Fitch downgraded MTN to junk status in April and gave it a negative outlook, citing weakness in the economic and operating environments of its main subsidiaries in South Africa and Nigeria.

    Founded with the help of Pretoria at the end of white rule in 1994, MTN is seen as one of post-apartheid South Africa’s biggest commercial successes.

    But clashes with regulators in recent years have raised questions about its governance and have hobbled its growth.

    The firm, which does the bulk of its business in emerging markets, said Nigeria’s subscriber base declined by 2.3 per cent in the quarter due to new regulations, while total revenue increased by 11.6 per cent.

     

  • MTN $13b saga: Questions over Senate’s postponement

    MTN $13b saga: Questions over Senate’s postponement

    It was the Senate ad hoc committee on the Humanitarian Crisis in the North East, headed by Senator Shehu Sani that unearthed the contract scam involving the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal in October 2016. Unlike many investigative panels before it, the Sani committee did a thorough job. Some of its findings was the over N200 million contract for the removal of invasive weeds (otherwise known as grass cutting contract) in Yobe State. The committee discovered that Rholavision Nigeria Limited, the company that got what turned out to be a phony contact, was registered by Babachir Lawal. The Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) which awarded the contract, was placed under the watch of the same Lawal. The committee’s findings were able to establish that it was Babachir Lawal of PINE that awarded the contract to Babachir Lawal of Rholavision. When the scandal broke, the double faced Lawal applied several bullying methods to dismiss the report. But the Senate, particularly Shehu Sani refused to be silenced by Lawal’s sinister antics. In response, the Presidency referred the matter to a committee headed by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. And through some executive magic, Lawal was cleared of wrongdoing and a report clearing the now suspended SGF was flashed in the face of a benumbed Nigerian public. This forced the often rationally stubborn Sani to draw the conclusion that the Presidency had chosen to apply insecticide against its foes in the fight against corruption, only to spray sweet-scented deodorant on its friends and cronies. That was what the Malami report on Babarchirgate truly did. This was followed by a flurry of activities in the partisan sphere, as prominent chieftains in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saw the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as save haven to cover their iniquities of the past which were being put under the searchlight of the anti-graft agencies. A number of them that were under investigation or facing prosecution hurriedly defected to the APC overnight. The defection galore spread across geopolitical zones as chieftain after chieftain assembled the media to announce their defection from PDP to APC. And just when Nigerians thought the matter had been effectively swept under the carpet through an executive fiat, the Presidency, apparently out of penitence, decided to change from deodorant to insecticide in treating Babachirgate. The flit came in the same pack with the infamous National Intelligence Agency (NIA) saga. In his wisdom, or the lack of it, Abiodun Oke, the Director General of the NIA came out to lay claim to billions of cash in local and foreign currencies discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a private apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos. According to him, the hidden cash, running to about N13 billion, was meant for “covert operations” and had to be stuffed in safe cabinets in a private apartment under the control of his beloved wife. Just like Babachir Lawal, Abiodun Oke too has been given a kick in the rump. The two gentlemen will be giving their narratives before a presidential panel in the days ahead.

    But while the Shehu Sani committee effectively applied insecticide in attacking Babachirgate, another committee of the Senate chose the soft option by spraying deodorant on individuals and corporate bodies it accused of wrongdoings. In October 2016, the Senate standing committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions screamed to the high heavens, accusing some firms and local banks of assisting a telecom giant, MTN Nigeria to illegally repatriate about $13 billion out of Nigeria. That Senate committee, chaired by Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South), issued summons to top officials of the MTN, the Central Bank of Nigeria and a number of commercial banks alleged to have aided what the committee described as capital flight. Chief executives of some private firms alleged to have played a role in the said illegal financial dealings were also summoned. The present Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enalemah, was also summoned to give explanations regarding the role his firm played in the matter. The vast hearing Senate room was packed to the brim with the various invitees and journalists hoping to get sizzling scoop from the hearing. The hall was tense as the senators took turns to lament what they described as economic injury inflicted on the nation by the invited individuals and corporate bodies. At opening session of the public hearing, Senator Ibrahim threatened to invoke the relevant punitive rule in the Senate’s book against Minister Enalemah who appeared for the hearing but had sneaked out before the exercise began. The boisterous Senator Dino Melaye went throaty, stealing the show in his trademark fashion. He bawled, he yelled and barked at the invitees as he hinged his effusive outbursts on patriotic zeal oozing out of his agitated soul. Most of the invited individuals and corporate bodies were visibly rattled by the senators’ verbal quakes. Prying questions were hurled at the “errant” invitees and many of them became fidgety. They were cornered. The horde of journalists sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for the slam. Unconvincing explanations were offered by some of the representatives of the firms and officials of the CBN. The atmosphere became charged and reporters were ready to go for the kill. Then suddenly, the chairman of the investigating Senate committee, Rafiu Ibrahim, halted the music. He announced in his native Ilorin English, that the hearing had been postponed indefinitely. Ibrahim gave no reasons for the termination of the hearing on the very first day. And since then, members of the Nigerian public have been left to guess what transpired. Case closed. So Senator Shehu Sani cannot be said to be totally right on the insecticide and deodorant theory wherein he accused the executive arm of selective application of the two contrasting aerosols. The Senate also, is a culprit. Ask Senator Rafiu Ibrahim.

  • MTN, Emory Green celebrate lovers

    MTN, Emory Green celebrate lovers

    It was an atmosphere of love and laughter for couples in the Benin, Asaba and Ibadan at the just concluded couple’s event organised by one of the leading telecommunication companies, MTN Nigeria, tagged, Rhythm of Love.
    The events which were organised by Emory Green was hosted at Baden- Baden in Benin, Orchid hotel, Asaba and E99 Event Centre, Oluyole, Ibadan, Oyo State.
    The venues were filled with couples. And the hosts rekindled love among the couples, tasking them through various games and quiz related to home functions.
    The overall winner at the event won a washing machine, refrigerator and generator, while others went home with ovens, blenders, bags of rice and other prizes.
    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Emory Green Limited, Mrs. Tokunbo Nasamu, appreciated MTN for sponsoring the event and said, “our goal is to promote happy people and happy families.”

  • Technology can enhance wellness, say MTN, Garmin

    Technology, if properly deployed, can help boost the health and fitness activities in Nigeria through wearable technology, MTN and Garmin have said.

    Speaking during the unveiling of the partnership the Corporate Head Office of MTN Nigeria at Ikoyi, Lagos, Business Development Manager, Garmin, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mike Clarke, said the collaboration would deliver the ultimate digital experience to Nigerians and provide a platform for people to adopt healthy lifestyles.

    He said: “We are excited to extend our footprint into Africa and partner with the leading telecoms provider to bring these innovative solutions into Nigeria where we have seen an increasing interest and adoption of healthy lifestyles.

    ‘’Our Garmin watches support various mobile devices operating on the Android, iOS and Microsoft platforms and they will be powered by data from MTN which will give Nigerian customers the opportunity to stay fit and healthy.”

    Clarke also added that Garmin products come with a mobile App, Garmin Connect Mobile, through which members can review, analyse and share their activities right from their smart phone devices.

    “The beauty of the App is that people can focus on their fitness and healthy living goals as all the data they rely on is easy to retrieve and viewed through the App on their phones,” he added.

    General Manager, Brands and Communication, MTN Nigeria, Richard Iweanoge, said the partnership was in line with its vision to lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to MTN’s customers.

    “We are delighted to announce this partnership because we believe that Garmin is the right fit to drive our commitment towards deploying cutting-edge technology to enrich the lives of our subscribers. Health and fitness have become a critical issue that everyone needs to pay attention to and MTN is excited at being at the forefront of this movement to keep Nigerians fit,” he said.

    The wearable devices include a range of smart watches, which enable users to track, monitor and record daily health activities and on selected devices pair with smartphones to receive current weather conditions, weather forecasts, voice call/text message notifications, emails, among other functions.