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Tag: MTN Nigeria

  • After 29 years, Jaber exits MTN Nigeria as COO

    After 29 years, Jaber exits MTN Nigeria as COO

    MTN Nigeria executives, staff and partners on Friday honoured its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Hassan Jaber, as he bowed out of the MTN Group after 29 years of dedicated service and leadership.

    He will be replaced by Ayham Moussa as the new COO of MTN Nigeria.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, in his farewell speech in Lagos, highlighted the contributions of Jaber to the growth of the organisation.

    Toriola described Jaber as a dedicated staff, whose personal relationships and professional leadership was instrumental to MTN’s success.

    He said that Jaber, in his 29 years career in MTN, drove progress, fostered a culture of efficiency and delivered effective solutions.

    “Jaber’s strategic direction has been instrumental to MTN Nigeria’s commercial and technical successes.

    “He is a trusted colleague and brother. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him since 2006, and he has delivered exceptional results.

    “He worked relentlessly with the rest of the team to secure the renewal and modification of MTN Nigeria’s lease agreement with IHS Towers.

    “This move will have a lasting impact on the company’s financial growth and expansion,” he said.

    Toriola said that the lease would be extended from 2025 to 2032, to enable the company manage forex expenditure and diesel costs.

    Jaber’s career at MTN began in 1998 as Information Technology (IT) Manager at Spacefon (now MTN) in Accra, Ghana.

    He played a pivotal role in developing the company’s technology strategy and aided its IT department growth in Benin and Liberia.

    He later served as Chief Information Officer of MTN Yemen and MTN Syria, before rising through the ranks to lead MTN as CEO in Guinea, Sudan and Afghanistan.

    He became the youngest CEO within the MTN Group at age 32.

    Before becoming COO at MTN Nigeria in 2022, Jaber served as COO at MTN Iran.

    During his tenure, he spearheaded MTN’s operations, solidifying the company’s position as a leading telecommunications service provider for millions of subscribers, and driving market share and revenue growth.

    MTN Group announced some appointments following Jaber’s retirement.

    Mohammed Rufai was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Congo-Brazzaville while Moussa will serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of MTN Nigeria.

    Rufai will take over the CEO position at MTN Congo-Brazzaville on September 1, while Moussa will resume on August 19.

  • MTN closes down offices nationwide over vandalisation of properties

    MTN closes down offices nationwide over vandalisation of properties

    MTN Nigeria on Tuesday shut down all its outlets and service centres across the country.

    The development followed the crises that rocked the telecom operator which led to the destrution of the company’s properties.

    The viral clips that surfaced on social media on Monday, captured long lines of angry costumers at the company’s offices nationwide, voicing their frustration and disappointment over the recent blocking of their phone numbers by the telecom giant.

    Another video showed angry subscribers vandalising the iron bars of the company’s office in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos.

    Reacting, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, via the microblogging platform, X formerly Twitter confirmed that they had restored normalcy in the state.

    Speaking on Tuesday morning, MTN via its official handle said it would be shutting its shops nationwide as a result of the incidents.

    “Yello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, 30th July 2024,” the statement sighted on X read.

  • MTN partners LaLiga/NPFL for U – 15 football tournament

    MTN partners LaLiga/NPFL for U – 15 football tournament

    MTN Nigeria, the official communications partner of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), said that it would partner with the Spanish LaLiga and the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the fourth edition of the LaLiga/NPFL U-15 football tournament.

    This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday which stated that the tournament would be competed for by the junior teams of all the premier league clubs.

    The statement also stated that the competition which started in 2017 had seen the telecommunication outfit collaborating with Valuejet to develop grassroots football in the country.

    It said that the competition would kick off on Friday at the Remo Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun.

    It quoted the Senior Manager, Sponsorship and Promotion, MTN Nigeria, Osaze Ebueku, to have commended LaLiga for partnering with MTN in developing football in the country.

    It added that Seyi Akinwunmi, the NFF First Vice-President, gave assurance that products discovered from the competition would form a pool of players for the national team.

    It quoted him as saying that one of the players who was discovered from the first edition of the U-15, Akinkunmi Amoo, was part of the Super Eagles team that played the two-leg World Cup qualifiers against Ghana.

    The statement also quoted Deji Adegbenro, who represented the Country Manager of LaLiga Nigeria, Desmond Chiji, as saying that some of the outstanding players that would be discovered from the competition would be placed in Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid Football Clubs.

  • MTN gets approval from CBN to commence Momo PSB

    MTN gets approval from CBN to commence Momo PSB

    MTN has received final approval from CBN to commence Momo Payment Service Bank (PSB), as commencement date will be communicated to the apex bank.

     

    This was revealed in a statement signed by the company’s secretary, Uto Ukpanah, on Monday.

     

    This is coming after the CBN granted the firm approval in principle to operate in November 2021.

     

    The statement read, “We refer to our notification issued on 5 November 2021 in which we communicated receipt of the approval in principle from the CBN for Momo PSB.

     

    “MTN Nigeria Communications Plc announces the receipt of a letter dated 8 April 2022 from the CBN addressed to Momo PSB conveying final approval to commence operations.

     

    “The date of commencement will be communicated to the CBN in accordance with its requirements.

     

    “MTN Nigeria affirms its commitment towards the financial inclusion agenda of the CBN and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we are excited at this opportunity to support its fulfilment.”

  • BREAKING: NCC confirms MTN, Mafab have paid for 5G licences

    BREAKING: NCC confirms MTN, Mafab have paid for 5G licences

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed provisional winners of the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum licence, MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta made confirmation of the payment known on Thursday, just as the deadline set for the two winners of the spectrum auction elapsed.

    As part of the auction process emplaced by the Commission in the Information Memorandum (IM), three companies, namely MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications Ltd and Airtel Networks Ltd submitted bids with an initial bid deposit (IBD) of $19.74 million, representing 10 per cent of the Reserve Price of the 3.5GHz Spectrum by the close of the Bid submission date of November 29, 2021.

    Following the successful auction on December 13, 2021 and the emergence of MTN and Mafab as winners, they were required to pay the balance of the bid amount of $253.86 million on or before February 24, 2022.

    However, aside the $273.6 million payment, MTN paid additional $15.9 million, being the bidding sum it offered at the assignment state of the spectrum auction, making it clinch its preferred Lot 1 (3500-3600 Megahertz-MHz) in the 3.5Ghz spectrum; while, Mafab Communications, which bided lower at the assignment stage, consequentially settled with Lot 2 (3700-3800Mhz) at no extra cost.

    Confirming the payments by the two licensees, Danbatta said: “I wish to officially announce that NCC has received and confirmed payments from MTN and Mafab for their acquisition of 1 slot of 100Mhz each in the 3.5Ghz spectrum auction, which was successfully conducted by the Commission on December 13, 2021. They both met the deadline of February 24, 2022 as set by the Commission”.

    “Arising from this and on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Board and Management of the NCC, I wish to congratulate the MTN and Mafab for this feat, as we look forward to accomplishing other deployment timelines in the 5G deployment roadmap, as articulated in the National Policy on 5G Networks for Nigeria’s Digital Economy”, Danbatta stated.

    For meeting the payment deadline, Danbatta has commended the two companies for their commitment to 5G deployment drive through their private investments, which he said, was a demonstration of the licensees’ belief in the sound regulatory environment in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.

    Danbatta also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support and commitment to the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria which, he said, will bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities to communications services in Nigeria.

    The Commission published a Public Notice on its decision to award two lots of 100MHz Time Division Duplex (TDD) available in the 3.5 GHz band through an auction process, to support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services for the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria.

    Subsequently, an Information Memorandum (IM) was issued on November 10, 2021, in which Bid Applications for the available spectrum lots were invited. By the deadline for receipt of applications on November 29, 2021, the Commission received applications from three licensed telecommunications companies, namely: Airtel Networks Limited, Mafab Communications Limited, and MTN Communications Nigeria Plc.

    The Auction held successfully on Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja with the three bidders competing for the available two lots in which the Commission adopted the Ascending Clock Auction format that ended after Round 11, and proceeded to the Assignment Stage.

    In the auction, MTN and Mafab emerged provisional licence winners and arising from this, the winning bid price for the auction was put at $273.6 million for each lot of 100 MHz TDD. The Provisional licence winners were then directed to pay the Winning Bid Price less the Intention-to-Bid Deposit, by February 24, 2022.

    Industry stakeholders and observers have commended the Commission for the auction process, described as efficient, fair, well-organised and transparent; as well as designed to deliver the ideal outcome which saw the strongest bidders emerge as winners, raising a substantial amount for the Federal Government and setting the stage for the next phase in Nigeria’s 5G roadmap.

  • Finally NCC receives full payments from MTN, Mafab for 5G licence

    Finally NCC receives full payments from MTN, Mafab for 5G licence

    Finally, both MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications have fulfilled their payments for the 5G spectrum auctioned by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in December 2021.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports MTN had earlier completed its payments, while Mafab completed its payments on Thursday, following apprehension expressed by NCC.

    Nigeria raised the total sum of USD563,100,000 (roughly N231 billion) in the auction of 3.5GHz spectrum band for the deployment of 5G network technology across the country.

    The auction of the 3.5GHz spectrum band by the NCC, Nigeria’s telecoms regulators took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Through the auction, the Nigerian government through the NCC offered spectrum for 5G roll out in the country in the 3.5GHz band.

    According to the NCC, the sum raised includes the prices for the right to use licences, and investment commitments tied to the band as well as the premium paid.

    TNG reports Nigeria’s main mobile operator, MTN Nigeria and a little known operator, Mafab Communications Ltd secured the 3.5GHz spectrum band auctioned by the NCC.

    Announcing the outcome of the auction, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta said the auction was won at $273,600,000 per lot.

    TNG reports the two lots auctioned by the NCC brings the total sum for the auction to $547,200,000 at the main stage of the exercise.

    Meanwhile, MTN made the highest bid of the sum of $15,900,000 at the assignment stage of the exercise to be assigned the preferred lot of lot one, while Mafab was assigned lot two at no extra cost.

    The NCC adopted the Ascending Clock Auction format for the main stage of the auction, which ended after round 11 before proceeding to the assignment stage.

    MTN, having made the highest offer at the assignment stage was given the right to select its most preferred Lot and it selected Lot 1 (3500-3600 MHz), while Lot 2 (3700-3800 MHz) is consequentially assigned to Mafab.

    TNG, meanwhile, reports Airtel as the third bidder fell off the exercise at the 11th round of the main stage of the auction.

  • Controversy rocks auction of spectrum band for 5G rollout in Nigeria

    Controversy rocks auction of spectrum band for 5G rollout in Nigeria

    The auction of spectrum for the rollout of fifth generation (5G) networks in Nigeria is presently enmeshed in a controversy after a report emerged that Nigeria’s telecoms regulators shifted grounds to accommodate some bidders.

    Although, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria’s telecoms regulators has clarified the issue, the report had it that the Commission was forced to move deadline for the submission of the bid and payment of the ten percent fee of $20 million after it emerged that only MTN Nigeria had complied with the requirement.

    Recall that the NCC announced a bid for the 3.5Ghz spectrum band for the rollout of 5G network in the country, and set the deadline for the submission of bids for Wednesday, November 24, 2021. However, the telecoms regulators moved the deadline from Wednesday, November 24, 2021 to Monday, November 29, 2021.

    On December 1, 2021, the Commission announced that at the close of the bid submission date of November 29, 2021, three companies, namely MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications Ltd and Airtel Networks Ltd had successfully submitted their bids in line with the requirements of the Information Memorandum (IM).

    Meanwhile, the NCC in a statement released by its Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, denied ever shifting grounds to accommodate bidders, stressing that the deadline was shifted following concerns expressed by industry stakeholders and potential bidders, including MTN.

    Adinde in the statement cited the strike by air traffic controllers of November 23, 2021, just a day before the deadline for the submission of bids, which disrupted flights operations in Lagos as part of reasons why the deadline was shifted, stressing that even MTN on November 23, 2021 communicated to the Commission via email, asserting its concerns about the air traffic controllers’ strike and how it is likely to impede timely submission of their bid.

    The Commission further stressed that the Business Day report is replete with misinformation, which the NCC said is capable of misleading industry stakeholders, the general public and undermining the integrity of the ongoing process for the auction of the 5G spectrum. The Commission also clarified that all three bidders are existing licensees of the Commission under different license categories and

    “For instance, the publication alleged that Mafab Communications is a relatively unknown operator in the industry, suggesting that it was not eligible to bid for the spectrum. The IM has clearly stipulated that new entrants into the industry can participate in the bid and if they are successful, the Commission will issue the entity an operating license in line with the extant provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and its licensing regulations,” the statement reads in part.

    The statement adds: “It is pertinent to state that the Nigerian Communications Commission maintains an unimpeachable record and reputation based on precedents of open and transparent spectrum auctions over the years, which had earned it both local and international recognition.

    “The Commission is consistently guided by its well-established principles of fairness, firmness and forthrightness and wishes to assure Nigerians that it is determined to ensure the successful implementation of the 5G Auction spectrum, which is set to take place on December 13, 2021”.

  • Nigerians set to enjoy more smartphones without SIM cards

    Nigerians set to enjoy more smartphones without SIM cards

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted approval for two mobile network operators to carry out a trial on the workability of embedded Subscriber Identification Modules (e-SIM) Service in Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the two mobile network operators granted the approval are MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile.

    The trial, approved to run for a period of one year, will involve testing 5,000 e-SIMs by the two networks, subject to compliance with a number of regulatory conditions, according to an NCC statement signed by Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs.

    “These conditions include full compliance by the MNOs with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011; the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015; Guidelines on SIM Replacement 2017; and non-degradation of the Quality of Service (QoS) experience by users of e-SIMs,” the statement reads.

    According to the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the primary objective of the e-SIM trial is to assess the technical performance of the e-SIM on telecoms service providers’ network towards eventual rollout, if satisfactory.

    TNG reports an e-SIM is a small chip that is embedded on a mobile phone or smart devices, designed for convenience, flexibility and simplicity.

    The e-SIM means that there would not be a physical SIM card on the smartphone, making it easier for subscribers to choose a pre-paid plan provider and switch between network operators.

    The information on the e-SIM is rewritable by operators and the identification information can be updated over time.

    According to the EVC, the e-SIMs is a technology that will eliminate the need for physical SIM card slots on mobile devices in the near future, adding that the trial is in line with the Commission’s forward-looking regulatory approach to ensure Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem is in tandem with global best practices.

  • MTN Nigeria reshuffles management, appoints new CEO

    MTN Nigeria reshuffles management, appoints new CEO

    MTN Nigeria has reshuffled its top management team with the appointment of Mr Karl Toriola as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective March 1, 2021.

    This was disclosed on Monday in a notice to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and signed by the company’s secretary, Mrs Uto Ukpanah, who explained that the March 2021 handover date is to provide enough time for a smooth transition.

    Mr Toriola, who currently serves as the vice president West and Central Africa (WECA), excluding Nigeria and Ghana, is taking over from the current CEO, Mr Ferdinand Moolman, who will exit the role to assume a new role as MTN Group Chief Risk Officer.

    In his capacity as VP WECA, Mr Toriola, since 2016, has overseen the steady progress of the operating companies in the region, notably the turnaround of MTN Ivory Coast and MTN Cameroon.

    During his tenure, the WECA markets have made significant commercial and strategic strides. These include the improvement of market shares within the region and the development of mobile financial services.

    Since joining the group in 2006, he has also held a number of senior operational roles including Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, CEO of MTN Cameroon and MTN Group Operations Executive.

    Mr Toriola has at various times in his career in MTN Group had oversight responsibility of 16 of the group subsidiaries and serves on various MTN boards, including MTN Nigeria.

    He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electric and Electrical Engineering from the University of Ife, a Master of Science degree in Communication System from the University of Wales, and attended the General Management Programme at Harvard Business School.

    In addition, he has attended several executive development courses at various institutions including Wharton Business School, Institute of Management Development and London Business School.

    He is a Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers and Council Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) as well as a member, Institute of Directors.

    Speaking on the appointment, Mr Ernest Ndukwe, Chairman of MTN Nigeria, in his remarks, said, “After a thorough and rigorous selection process, we are delighted to welcome Karl back to MTN Nigeria.

    “Recognized throughout the industry as a highly experienced and well-regarded business leader, Karl has been a member of the MTN family for over 14 years and has an intimate understanding of the telco business. His appointment further reaffirms the company’s commitment to succession planning as well as retaining and developing identified high performing executives.

    “With his rich credential, I am personally pleased that Mr Karl Toriola is well-suited to lead MTN Nigeria’s executive management team through the next stages of growth in the years ahead.”

    The current CEO of MTN Nigeria, Mr Ferdinand Moolman, joined MTN in 2002 and has held several senior positions within the group in Nigeria and Iran. He joined the board of MTN Nigeria in 2014 as chief financial officer and became CEO in 2015.

    Under his leadership, significant progress has been made in stabilising the business and setting it on a sustainable growth path. He will remain on the board of MTN Nigeria in his new role as the MTN Group Chief Risk Officer.

    “The board of MTN Nigeria wishes to express its gratitude to Ferdi for his exemplary leadership at MTN Nigeria. He has played a critical role in the company’s development and success and while we will miss him, we wish him the best in his new role at MTN Group,” said Mr Ndukwe.

  • MTN Nigeria deactivates 0.6m subscribers

    MTN Nigeria Communications Plc (MTN Nigeria) has deactivated 0.6 million active subscribers under regulatory directive.

    It also reported an increase in its service revenue by 12.1 per cent to N854.9 billion, according to its unaudited results for nine months ended September 30, 2019.

    The telco said in January it adopted the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 16 adding that adjustments are reflected in the result.

    Details to follow…..