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Tag: MTN

  • MTN to retrain Visafone workers for 4G technology

    Visafone workers inherited by MTN as a result of the acquisition of the code division multiple access (CDMA) operator are to be retrained so they have the requisite skills for engaging the new 4G or long term evolution (LTE) technology.

    Sector analysts say the acquisition is expected to provide the MTN a robust voice and data platform of Visafone and cater for booming internet population of the country.

    It was gathered that selected workers of Visafone are likely to commence the retraining immediately ahead of the launch of the new data service.

    MTN Executive, Ms. Amina Oyagbola, said the acquisition which seeks to leverage resources for service enhancement is also reflective of the telco’s concerted efforts to deepen the growth and roll out of broadband services across the country currently under 10 per cent to the targeted 30 per cent by 2018 of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) of the Federal Government. It will also help to realise other targets of the plan.

    Oyagbola said: “We are committed to exploring avenues for meeting our customers’ increasing data needs in line with our vision ‘to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers’. As we work to maximise our data capabilities towards achieving broadband of international quality, our objective is to ensure that Nigerians experience a boost in the quality of broadband internet services translating to the much needed enhanced data speeds and value to enhance personal and business productivity.

    “The acquisition of Visafone highlights MTN’s commitment to Nigeria. More capacity will facilitate enhanced product/service offerings and experience in the data space to the delight of our valued customers. Voice is still King. However, data is becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives and our energies are focused on enhancing data and internet services to the benefit of our customers and the country at large.”

    The 4G LTE technology is particularly good for the country and economy because it will create conducive platform for enhanced product/service innovation which will ultimately lead to the creation of new jobs, the analysts added.

    Telecoms industry watchers have commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the hitch-free merger, adding that such should be encouraged. “This initiative is widely applauded as a major telecom industry landmark deal,” one of the analysts said.

    With the acquisition deal sealed, MTN is now expected to massively and aggressively leverage the CDMA pedigree of Visafone to roll out premium products that will usher in very good business opportunity for the carrier and Nigerians.

    This is expected to ensure a high quality data services and improve mobile broadband experience for subscribers of Visafone and MTN.

    The acquisition, they say,  is expected to provide the much-needed relief to the booming internet economy by making available quality mobile broadband services through the deployment of state of the art 4G LTE technologies during the year.

    With about 150 million mobile subscribers and about 97 million internet users, Nigeria ranks among the fastest growing countries in terms of mobile subscribers and internet penetration. However, majority of the 97 million internet users today are experiencing narrow band internet at 2G/3G speeds which is particularly frustrating.

  • MTN relishes partnership with entertainment industry

    MTN relishes partnership with entertainment industry

    MTN, a foremost telecommunication company in the country has described its role in promoting the entertainment industry as a worthwhile venture.

    The company identified its role in paying royalties to deserving artistes through its caller tunes, investment in endorsement deals and discovery of fresh talents through sponsorship of Project Fame, an annual reality television show as some of the ways it has contributed to the growth of the industry.

    The company in a statement said: “Through our ring back tones popularly referred to as caller tunes, launched in 2008 as a revenue stream, we harnessed the huge potential in an innovation that has turned out to be safely rewarding to both the artistes and the industry, becoming one of the largest distribution platforms for music content in Nigeria.The caller tunes provided Nigerian artistes with a concrete means to monetize their content and enjoy a full reward for their labour since it was impossible for the songs on the service to be pirated or duplicated.

    “In 2013 subscription to the caller tunes service of MTN Nigeria alone reached the 17 million subscriber mark a record that seem intimidating and unbeatable for other networks. At the moment MTN Nigeria is not dropping standards as its caller ring back tunes have a staggering number of over 39 million subscribers. It is remarkable that in 2014, MTN generated N5 billion which it paid as royalties for Nigerian music artistes who sell their contents as caller tunes on its platform.”

    It added: “In 2012 MTN threw out its first endorsement deal when it hired the services of pop singer Davido as the ambassador of MTN Pulse in a deal reportedly worth N30 million. The following year past winners of the MTN Project Fame, a show solely sponsored by MTN, singers Inyanya got N40milion Mike Imyke ayansodo N10million, Chidinma N20milion and Praiz N20million.

    “The Nigerian entertainment industry will not forget in a hurry the famous move of Hafeez Saka Oyetoro from another telecom company taking the spending spree to another level. MTN dispensed some more millions, this time to young Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Kcee and even Don Jazzy along with younger brother the Prince got their share of the better times. The papers went agog with headlines of MTN’s 500m on endorsement deals leaving opposition with much to catch up on.

    “The Project Fame is another demonstration of MTN’s commitment to improving the music and entertainment industry in Nigeria. Since its inception the Project Fame has churned out talents and revealed sublime music potentials to Nigeria and the world. The discovery of the likes of Chidinma, Praise, Iyanya, Timi Dakolo, Omawunmi and others has proven an undisputable fact that Nigeria artistes can hold their own against their foreign counterparts if given equal training and attention.

    “The immediate rise to fame and fortune and sustained consistency of proud products of this academy is also another testimony that our very own local talent, sound and even music has come to stay and for good.”

  • Lawyer to court: dismiss MTN’s suit against NCC

    A Lagos lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss MTN Nigeria’s suit against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    He said the N1.04trillion fine imposed on MTN is in order, adding that the telecoms firm has no reasonable case against NCC.

    According to Alabi, granting MTN’s reliefs will result in “people breaking one law and hiding under another law to escape liability.”

    MTN is urging court to quash the $3.9billion sanction imposed on it by NCC in October for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers. The initial fine of $5.2billion was reduced by 25 per cent to $3.9billion earlier this month. Yesterday was the payment deadline.

    But MTN through its lawyers led by a former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) is challenging NCC’s powers to impose the fine. It argued that NCC being a regulator cannot assume all the functions of the state.

    However, Alabi, in an application seeking to be joined as an interested party, said MTN’s suit is abuse of court process that must not be tolerated.

    The lawyer said for over three years, NCC had directed all service providers to register their SIM cards already sold and in circulation. He said he duly registered his line sometime in 2012 and MTN called him in 2013 to obtain further information towards completing the registration.

    “The first defendant (NCC) gave time limit for all subscribers to register their SIM cards. The time limit was also extended repeatedly. The plaintiff was in default to register 5,200,000 subscribers

    “The plaintiff could register all the 5,200,000 subscribers SIMs in default within the time limit and extended time given by the first defendant. I believe other service providers such as Airtel, GLO, Etisalat, Starcomm strictly complied with the first defendant’s directives without defaulting; except the plaintiff.

    “The plaintiff never denied it defaulted in registration of the 5,200,000 subscribers. The fine imposed on the plaintiff by the first defendant is in order. The suit of the plaintiff with reliefs sought therein will encourage culture of impunity in Nigeria.

    “The law under which the plaintiff is subjected to liability is justice-able and valid. It is in the interest of justice to grant this application for the applicant to defend this suit within the purview of the law,” Alabi said.

    Alibi prayed the court to grant his application so that he could prove that MTN has no reasonable cause of action against NCC, and that granting MTN’s prayers will encourage a culture of impunity in Nigeria “whereby people would do all kinds of illegal and unlawful acts and get away with it so long as they can secure legal service to escape liability.”

    He said: “My Lord, the plaintiff in this suit has not denied it defaulted in registration of 5, 200,000 subscribers. It only came before the court for sympathy that the fine of N200,000 per SIM is too excessive.

    “I know of fact that such a complaint does not warrant the court to quash the fine or the entire fine and set the plaintiff free to go home without fine. This, if the court allows, will massively lead to conduct of impunity of ‘I can do anything and nothing will happen’; so long as the court is there to set an offender free.

    “My Lord, we believe that Nigeria is not a dumping ground and at the same time, it is not a country of anything goes, neither is it a lawless country. The law under which the fine was imposed on the plaintiff is valid and subsisting and in accordance with the Constitution.

    “The plaintiff is seeking equity with dirty hands. The equitable jurisdiction of the court cannot be invoked mala fide by the plaintiff. We urge the court to so hold,” Alabi added.

  • NATCOMS canvasses alternative means to SIM card re-registration

    NATCOMS canvasses alternative means to SIM card re-registration

    The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) on Wednesday called for an alternative means for telecoms consumers to re-register their Subscribers’ Identification Module (SIM) cards.

    The President of NATCOMS, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that operators should provide an easier means for customers affected by the SIM card re-registration to be able to re-register, instead of going to the service providers’ offices.

    Ogunbanjo said that a perfect alternative was for the network providers to allow those affected to send the required data through Short Messaging Service (SMS).

    He said that such an alternative means would ensure that telecoms subscribers were not subjected to any stress for an exercise they had undertaken previously.

    ”SIM registration is very good, but there should be some deliberate initiative to ensure that the subscribers are not subjected to any further stress.

    ”All of us have registered before, but there might be one or two details that the operators need.

    ”A particular network provider could send SMS to you that it required more details on your data and once you attend to them through an SMS that you send to the network, it should just be okay.

    ”They should engage other means of capturing subscribers’ additional data,” the NATCOMS President said.

    He said that the problem with the SIM card registration procedures should be blamed on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the agents it commissioned to carry out the exercise.

    Ogunbanjo recalled that the regulatory body licensed seven agents to cover the six geopolitical zones of the country, but that the agents did not carry out the exercise properly.

    He said that due to set targets and deadlines given, the registration agents were not asking the complete questions required from SIM card users.

    The advocacy group president, therefore, encouraged the operators to continue to compensate subscribers affected by the exercise.

    According to him, the airtime compensation given to the consumers should not be with any conditionality in respect of days for usage.

    NAN recalls that in August 2015, MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat were sanctioned for noncompliance with the directive to deactivate improperly registered SIM cards.

    MTN was fined N102.2 million, Globacom N7.4 million, Etisalat N7 million and Airtel N3.8 million for the violation. Others complied and paid, while MTN flouted the fine.

    On Oct. 20, 2015, NCC conveyed appropriate sanctions to MTN, in accordance with Regulation 20(1) of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulation 2011, to pay the sum of N200, 000 only for each of the 5.2 million improperly registered SIM cards in its network.

    MTN Nigeria was, therefore, fined $5.1 billion (about N1.04 trillion), but it was later reduced by 25 per cent to N780 billion, and the deadline for payment extended from Nov. 16 to Dec. 31.

    However, on Dec. 17, 2015, MTN took the regulatory body to court over the sanction.

     

  • Fed Govt insists MTN must pay N780b fine tomorrow

    Fed Govt insists MTN must pay N780b fine tomorrow

    Despite a suit in court, the Federal Government yesterday insisted that mobile giant MTN must pay the N780billion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) latest tomorrow.

    The government has also engaged a five-man team of Senior Advocates to defend the sanction in court.

    The Ministry of Communications made the clarifications against the backdrop of fears of whether or not the government will stay action on the imposition of the fine.

    MTN was punished for managing improperly registered 5.2m Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Cards.

    A top official said: “The fact that MTN has gone to court does not amount to a stay of the fine. We have not got any order restraining the Federal Government from collecting the fine.

    “An application before a court does not amount to the nullification of the sanction or a stay of action.”

    The Special Assistant to the Minister of Communications, Victor Oluwadamilare, who spoke exclusively with our correspondent, said there was no going back on the deadline.

    He said the government will enforce the fine by December 31st.

    He said: “Sequel to the suit filed by MTN, a team of very senior eminent lawyers has been put together to defend the interest of the Federal Government. I have on good authority that the lawyers have filed an objection to the MTN suit on diverse grounds.

    “The suit is however without prejudice to the powers of NCC to enforce the fine clamped on MTN in line with the relevant provisions of the NCC Act.

    “If ex-President Goodluck Jonathan had tackled the hydra-headed corruption monster and crass inefficiency in all spheres of governance like President Muhammadu Buhari is presently doing, the MTN saga would not have happened, not to talk of MTN’s audacity to go to court over a clear case of gross misconduct of trading 5.2million lines illegally in clear contravention of NCC’s guidelines.

    “It seems that the MTN is still under the illusion of the permissible era of the Jonathan’s administration where anything goes. President Buhari’s government remains a purposeful and result-driven administration that brooks no nonsense and will not tolerate underhand manoeuvres.

    “The leadership of the Communication sector under Minister Adebayo Shittu, whose character and integrity are impregnable, has remained focussed to ensure things are done differently for the country to achieve unprecedented success as envisioned by President Buhari.

    “This will serve as deterrent to other telecoms operators in Nigeria. Nigerians are tired of poor service, Nigerians deserve the best and we will stop at nothing to do that.”

    The NCC explained how MTN committed infractions and its neglect of warnings.

    It said: “The fine that was imposed on MTN was the second within two months after the operators were given a seven-day ultimatum to deactivate all unregistered and improperly registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Cards. While others complied, MTN did not.

    “On August 4, 2015, at a meeting of all the representatives of the Mobile Network Operators (MNO), with NCC, major security challenges through preregistered, unregistered and improperly registered SIM Cards topped the agenda after which Operators were given the ultimatum to deactivate such within seven days.

    “On August 14, 2015, three days after the ultimatum expired, NCC carried out a network audit, while other Operators complied with the directive, to deactivate the improperly registered SIM Cards, MTN showed no sign of compliance at all.

    “Please recall that four (4) Operators; MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat, were sanctioned in August for non compliance of the directive to deactivate the improperly registered SIM Cards. MTN got a fine of N102.2million, Globacom N7.4million, Etisalat N7million and Airtel N3.8million fine.  Others complied while MTN flouted the fine.

    “Based on the report of the compliance Audit Team, an Enforcement Team which visited MTN from September 2 – 4, 2015 wherein MTN admitted that the Team confirmed that 5.2million improperly registered SIM Cards were still left active on their network; hence, a contravention of the regulations was established.

    “Consistent with the Commission’s enforcement process, MTN was, by a letter dated October 5, 2015, given notice to state why it should not be sanctioned in line with the Regulations for failure to deactivate improperly registered SIM Cards that were found to be active at the time of enforcement team’s visit of September 15, 2015.

    “On October 19, 2015, the Commission received and reviewed MTN’s response and found no convincing evidence why it should not be sanctioned for the established violations.

    “Accordingly, by a letter dated October 20, 2015 the Commission conveyed appropriate sanctions to MTN in accordance with Regulations 20(1) of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulation 2011, to pay the Sum of N200,000.00 only for each of the 5.2million improperly registered SIM Cards.”

    The statement  said all stakeholders in the industry were part of the registration of telephone subscribers in Nigeria.

    It said: “In order to ensure proper identification of telephone subscribers with their biometric data and in line with international best practice, the Commission came up with a framework for the registration of telephone subscribers in Nigeria.  (Nigerian Communications Commission Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations 2011).

    “The above Regulations were developed with the full participation of all key industry stakeholders, including all Mobile Network Operators (MNO) in 2011.

    “The Commission on its part has a statutory responsibility to monitor and enforce compliance to the rules. More so, when national security is at stake.”

    The statement explained that National interest is paramount because when lives are lost they cannot be replaced.

    “As a responsible Regulator, the NCC will not stand by and watch Rules and Regulations for Engagement being flouted by any Operator.

    “The Commission has adopted a smart regulation in its oversight function in the industry, hence it has always weighed the implications of sanctions, that is why it had to place the appropriate sanction accordingly.”

    The NCC statement further said that sanctions are the last resort after all overtures fail but this does not in any way undermine Industry Standards and the interest of Investors.

  • NCC faults mobile giant’s suit

    NCC faults mobile giant’s suit

    •Urges court to decline jurisdiction

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has faulted the  competence of the suit filed by MTN Nigeria Communications Limited challenging the N1.04 trillion fine slammed on it (MTN) for allegedly breaching NCC’s statutory and regulatory directives.

    MTN sued NCC before the Federal High Court, Lagos and sought to void NCC’s decision to penalise it for failing to, among others, register about 5.2 million subscribers within a given deadline.

    NCC, in a motion on notice, prepared on its behalf by a group of lawyers including Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Mahmud Magaji (SAN), queried the competence of the suit, the court’s jurisdiction to hear it and argued that MTN failed to ensure proper service of court documents on its.

    It is the NCC’s contention that the suit was wrongly instituted in the Lagos division of the Federal High Court and that MTN, in serving to court processes on it, failed to comply with the provision of section 143 of the NCC Act which stipulates that all court processes are to be served at the principal office of NCC.

    NCC argued that  it was not only wrong  for MTN to have served court processes in relation to the suit on its Lagos office, the telecommunication company initiated the suit at the wrong venue by going before the Federal High Court, Lagos, which lacks the territorial jurisdiction to determine the dispute.

    It stated, in a supporting affidavit, that not only did all facts relating to the dispute occur in Abuja, both defendants in the suit – NCC and the Attorney general of the Federation (AGF) – have their principal offices in Abuja.

    NCC therefore prayed the court to set aside the purported service of all processes in the case on it. In the alternative, it wants the court to either decline jurisdiction over the case or transfer it to its Abuja division.

    MTN is, by the suit, challenging NCC’s powers of to impose fine even as a regulator.

    It is MTN’s contention that NCC, being a regulator, cannot assume all the functions of the state on its own, considering the fact that it made the regulation, prescribed the penalty and imposed the fine payable to the commission and not the Federal Government.

    It argued that by imposing a fine on it, the commission was already usurping “the exclusive legislative powers of the National Assembly, as well as the judicial powers of the courts established under the constitution.”

    MTN stated that it was not afforded its constitutional right of fair hearing before a court of competent jurisdiction and insisted that it had not been found guilty of any offence to warrant the fine of $3.9bn imposed on it.

    It wants the court to among others,  determine whether NCC can act pursuant to Section 70 of the NCC Act to impose a fine on it in view of the provisions of sections 1 (3), 4 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution.

  • N1.04tr fine: NCC faults MTN’s suit

    N1.04tr fine: NCC faults MTN’s suit

    … Commission urges court to decline jurisdiction

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has faulted the competence of the suit filed by MTN Nigeria Communications‎ Limited challenging the N1.04 trillion fine slammed on it (MTN) for allegedly breaching NCC’s statutory and regulatory directives.

    MTN had sued NCC before the Federal High Court, Lagos and sought to void NCC’s decision to penalize it for failing to among others, register about 5.2 million subscribers within a given deadline.

    NCC, in a motion on notice, prepared on its behalf by a group of lawyers including Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Mahmud Magaji (SAN), queried the competence of the suit, the court’s jurisdiction to hear it and argued that MTN failed to ensure proper service of court documents on its.

    It is the NCC’s contention that the suit was wrongly instituted in the Lagos division of the Federal High Court and that MTN, in serving to court processes on it, failed to comply with the provision of section 143 of the NCC Act which stipulates that all court processes are to be served at the principal office of NCC.

    NCC argued that  it was not only wrong  for MTN to have served court processes in relation to the suit on its Lagos office, the telecommunication company initiated the suit at the wrong venue by going before the Federal High Court, Lagos, which lacked the territorial jurisdiction to determine the dispute.

    It stated, in a supporting affidavit, that not only did all facts relating to the dispute occur in Abuja, both defendants in the suit – NCC and the Attorney general of the Federation (AGF) – have their principal offices in Abuja.

    NCC therefore prayed the court to set aside the purported service of all processes in the case on it. In the alternative, it wants the court to either decline jurisdiction over the case or transfer it to its Abuja division.

    MTN is, by the suit, challenging NCC’s powers of to impose fine even as a regulator.

    It is MTN’s contention that NCC, being a regulator, cannot assume all the functions of the state on its own, considering the fact that they made the regulation, prescribed the penalty and imposed the fine, payable to the commission and not the Federal Government.

    It argued that by imposing a fine on it, the commission was already usurping “the exclusive legislative powers of the National Assembly, as well as the judicial powers of the courts established under the constitution.”

    MTN stated that it was not afforded its constitutional right of fair hearing before a court of competent jurisdiction and insisted that it had not been found guilty of any offence to warrant the fine of $3.9bn imposed on it.

    It wants the court to among others,  determine whether NCC can act pursuant to Section 70 of the NCC Act to impose a fine on it in view of the provisions of sections 1 (3), 4 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution.

  • $3.4b MTN fine: Fed Govt to await court pronouncement

    $3.4b MTN fine: Fed Govt to await court pronouncement

    The Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, yesterday said the Federal Government will await court pronouncement over the fine imposed by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) on MTN for subscriber identity module (SIM) card fraud.

    NCC had originally imposed N1.4trillion ($5.2billion) fine on the telco for keeping some 5.2million pre-registered SIMs on its network and refusing to deactivate them when it was directed to do so by the regulator. After a lot of appeal by the telco to the Federal Government, President Muhammadu Buhari reduced the fine to N780billion ($3.4billion) only for MTN to turn round and served the regulator court papers challenging its powers to impose the fine.

    Shittu who spoke with reporters during his visit to Omatek Ventures Plc along Kudirat Abiola Way, as part of his official visit to stakeholders in the information communications technology (ICT) sector, said President Buhari places high premium on the rule of law, adding that since all parties have subjected themselves to the supremacy of the constitution, the Federal Government will wait patiently for the court’s ruling.

    He said MTN, which has December 31 to pay the fine,  is the largest operator in the country, adding that nobody wants the downfall of the telco or any other company whether local or international in the country.

    Because the case is already in court, “it is difficult to comment on such matter. However, the ministry will await the determination of the court before any further action will be taken on the matter,” he said, adding that

    The minister said in as much as no particular telco or business organiation is being targeted by the government, he urged all business owners in the country to be mindful of the need for them to obey the laws of their host country.

    According to Shittu, a new blueprint for the industry will be unveiled in the third week of January next year, adding that the Communications Technology Ministry is not in any way trying to re-invent the wheel but will build on what is on ground and improve where necessary.

    “By January, the blueprint for ICT development in Nigeria will be unveiled. Whatever is on ground would form part of it. The change mantra is to improve on regulations in the industry”, he stressed.

    He commended Omatek CEO, Mrs Florence Seriki for her pioneering efforts in the ICT industry pledging to ensure that indigenous players are given the requisite encouragement and support.

  • Nigeria ‘to decide’ on MTN’s fine after court case

    Nigerian authorities will wait for the outcome of a court case filed by South African telecoms firm MTN before deciding on whether to enforce a $3.9 billion fine, a spokesman for the telecommunications ministry said.

    The ministry spokesman contradicted a source in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), who earlier said “appropriate action” would be taken against MTN if it failed to pay the fine by a December 31 deadline for failing to disconnect users with unregistered SIM cards.

    Nigeria has been trying to halt the widespread use of unregistered SIM cards amid worries these are being used for criminal activity, including by Boko Haram sect.

    The NCC slapped a $5.2 billion fine on MTN in October but after weeks of negotiations reduced it by 25 percent this month, setting a deadline for December 31, Reuters reported.

    However, the operator was still not prepared to pay the reduced fine and said last week it would challenge the penalty in a Lagos court.

    “The federal government, NCC (regulator) or any government agent will not do anything at the expiration of the December 31 deadline,” said Victor Oluwadamilare, the ministry’s media assistant.

    “Now that they (MTN) have gone to court we will await the outcome of the case,” he added. “This is a government that believes in the rule of law.”

    The ministry appears to have taken a softer stance than the regulator on the dispute.

    The minister Adebayo Shittu told Reuters last month Nigeria did not want MTN to “to die” from the fine.

  • Why we took NCC to court, by MTN

    Why we took NCC to court, by MTN

    TELECOMMUNICATION giant MTN yesterday said it took the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to court over the N780billion fine imposed on it over subscriber identity (SIM) card registration infractions because of its belief in the long term sustainability of its business in the country.

    Reaffirming its long-term commitment to its stakeholders, including 63 million customers, employees, vendors, partners and consultants in the country, it said the decision to seek judicial determination of the fine was also in line with due process and deference to the rule of law.

    In a statement, the Human Resources & Corporate Services Executive, Amina Oyagbola, said that the N780 billion fine has potential dire consequences for the company and stakeholders, as well as the entire Nigerian telecommunications industry.

    She said being a significant contributor in Nigeria, MTN has an obligation to protect the interests of its ecosystem of millions of Nigerians who are directly and indirectly affected by its business operations and continuity.

    The decision to seek judicial determination was reached after careful consideration of all factors, including extensive attempts at a sustainable resolution, she said.

    “It is important to state that seeking judicial determination was a last resort. We hold the Nigerian government, its national objectives, laws and regulations in the highest regard.”

    She said notwithstanding the action, the company will continue to engage with the authorities in an effort to reach an amicable resolution in the interest of all stakeholders.

    Through its operations, she added, MTN has grown to become the largest gross domestic product (GDP) contributor in the non-oil sector, at approximately 4.5 per cent. “We are grateful for the patronage, partnership, determination and hard work of everyone who has made it possible for MTN to become what we are today.  We recognise the magnitude of the responsibility we bear and are committed to supporting our key stakeholders to enable continued sustainable economic development and vibrant, connected communities through ICT,” she said.

    MTN remains committed to being a partner in national development and an investment ambassador for Nigeria, Ms. Oyagbola said.