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Tag: MTN

  • MTN bows to pressure, orders workers to stay at home

    MTN Nigeria has directed its workers to stay at home in view of the ongoing attacks against South African companies operating in Nigeria.

    The telecom company also directed all its stores and service centres to be closed as a precaution until further notice.

    A spokesperson in the company confirmed to newsmen that none of them went to work today as some of their facilities were attacked on Tuesday in Ibadan.

    The company said it would continue to provide uninterrupted services as it was concerned about the safety and security of its customers, members of staff and partners.

    It was gathered that security operatives stood guard at the head office of the company on Wednesday to avert the destruction of the company’s property.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, the CEO, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman, said the company was against all forms violence and xenophobia against people.

    “MTN Nigeria strongly condemns hate, prejudice and xenophobia and reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of all violence. We seek to connect people, bring people together and provide a platform for everyone’s voice to be heard. We are against all forms of bigotry and discrimination; they should have no place in society,” he added.

  • Xenophobia: Lagos condemns reprisal attacks on Shoprite, MTN, others

    The Lagos State Government has condemned attack on Shoprite outlets in the state due to Xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa.

    A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso on Tuesday said the attention of the government had been drawn to the attack on Shoprite complexes at Jakande and Sangotedo Area of Ajah by some unidentified people claiming to be acting in retaliation against the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa

    “These attacks are condemned as they are against the Nigerian spirit of accommodation and benevolence that the country in general and Lagos State in particular is noted for.

    “The Federal Government is in dialogue with South African authorities to stop this obnoxious act. We appeal to our compatriots to eschew violence and any unlawful acts.

    “The Lagos State Government wishes to reiterate its commitment to providing a conducive atmosphere where businesses are conducted without hindrances.

    “The security agencies have been directed to ensure that law and order prevail in all parts of the State, even as Lagosians are advised to go about their activities without any fear,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed also condemned the attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria.

    Mohammed said the attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria would be to the detriment of the country.

    In a statement, Mohammed described as deeply disturbing the reports that some Nigerians, angered by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, have started attacking South African companies in Nigeria.

    He said: “Targeting South African companies in Nigeria for attack is, for Nigerians, a classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face, because the investors in such companies, especially MTN and Shoprite, are Nigerians.”

  • Xenophobic attack: MTN Ikeja office shutdowns business activities

    Following the protests across the streets of Lagos against xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, the MTN Nigeria outlet in Ikeja has shut down its activities.

    The development comes less than 24 hours after reports of attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians, in South Africa, went viral.

    The protesters also invaded Shoprite at Lekki and Surulere areas of Lagos state on Tuesday afternoon, chanting violent songs.

    While the protest in Ikeja was peaceful, those of Lekki and Surulere were intense.

    MTN Nigeria has issued a statement condemning xenophobic attacks.

    The statement reads: “MTN Nigeria strongly condemns hate, prejudice and xenophobia and reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of all violence,” the statement read.

    “We seek to connect people, bring people together and provide a platform for everyone’s voice to be heard. We are against all forms of bigotry and discrimination; they should have no place in society.

    “Everyone has the right to a world where their rights and freedoms are respected — the right to live and earn a living, freely, safely and protected by the law.”

     

  • BREAKING: Ijaw youths begin shutting down of MTN, Glo, Airtel masts in Bayelsa

    Ijaw youths have made good their threat to shut down masts belonging to MTN, Glo, Airtel and other telecommunication companies in Bayelsa State.
    The picketing was following issues bordering on complaints by the youths that the companies excluded indigenes from quick-win contracts especially the supply of diesel to their facilities.
    Details shortly…

  • Xenophobic killings in SA: NANS shuts down MTN, DSTV offices…

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Thursday shut down MTN and DSTV main offices in Benue in protest of continued killings of Nigerians in South Africa.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MTN and DSTV are both South African companies operating in Nigeria.
    NANS Deputy Zonal Coordinator, Zone C, Abah Owoicho who led the protest to shut down the offices also presented a strong worded letter of protest to the organisations.
    The letter was titled: “Position of NANS on Xenophobic Attack on Nigerians in South Africa’’.
    Owiocho said the letter was a condemnation of the years of barbaric killings of Nigerians in South Africa.
    “Since Nigerians living in South Africa cannot enjoy the same peace and support that South African businesses are enjoying here, it is only reasonable to shut down those businesses and their interests until further notice,’’ he said.
    The student leader also frowned at the recent killing of a Nigerian student, Dennis Obiaju, describing it as “barbaric’’.
    “It has become necessary for NANS to rise to the occasion and speak against the killings that have continued with no visible attempt by the South African Government to curb the menace.
    “Our pain is deeply rooted in the peace and patronages your organisations and other South African businesses enjoy in our country while the safety of our citizens and their businesses cannot be guaranteed in South Africa,’’ he said.
    Owoicho said that it was disheartening that South Africans could suddenly forget the big brother role Nigeria played which led to the dismantling of apartheid regime in their country.
    “We also remembered the apartheid struggle, Nigeria was very instrumental to the ending of the policy but today they are paying us with evil.
    “It is very painful to see that Nigeria that supported South Africa to gain independence is not being respected today.
    “We can no longer stand and watch while our citizens are being massacred.
    “We believe that the international community is also watching these developments,’’ he said.
    Ms Vera Ube, MTN Connect Manager in Makurdi, received the protest letter on behalf of MTN.
    She told the students that the management and staff of MTN were not in support of the killings as it had condemned such anti-development actions any time they occurred.
    Ube, however, said she would forward the letter to the appropriate quarters for consideration.
    “It is unfortunate that our people are being killed in South Africa, the management of MTN is not happy and we are not in support of the killings in South Africa.’’

  • Ndukwe replaces Dozie as MTN chairman

    Ndukwe replaces Dozie as MTN chairman

    MTN Nigeria has appointed Ernest Ndukwe, the former director-general of the Nigerian Communications Commission as chairman-designate in a board shake-up, that saw long serving banker, Dr. Pascal Dozie ousted.
    Ndukwe will take over on 2 September. Dozie has been chairman for almost 20 years.
    The shake-off followed listing of MTN stock on the Nigerian bourse.
    Majority owned by South Africa’s MTN Group, MTN Nigeria listed in Lagos in May in a 2 trillion naira ($6.54 billion) debut, in part to settle a long-running dispute in Nigeria, its biggest market.
    That listing turned the telecoms company into the exchange’s second-largest stock by market value.
    In addition to Ndukwe, MTN appointed former Nigerian pension regulatory chief Muhammad Ahmad, former minister for communication Omobola Johnson and former banker Andrew Alli who once represented the International Finance Corporation to MTN Nigeria’s board.
    “(The) combination of extensive experience across the worlds of technology, finance, regulatory and policy development and corporate governance offers a hugely synergistic set of skills that will be of great benefit to us as we move into a new phase of growth,” MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Ferdinand Moolman said.
    MTN Nigeria grew to become Nigeria’s biggest telecoms firm under Dozie, who steps down alongside five other directors after 18 years at the helm of the company.
    In December, MTN agreed to make a $53 million payment to resolve a multibillion-dollar dividend repatriation row in Nigeria after it paid over $1 billion to settle a dispute over unregistered SIM cards and agreed to list on Nigeria’s bourse.

  • $2bn tax dispute: Court adjourns MTN, AGF case till October

    $2bn tax dispute: Court adjourns MTN, AGF case till October

    Justice Chukwujekwu Joseph Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned until 29 October a case to resolve a $2 billion tax dispute between MTN Group and Nigeria’s attorney general.

    The attorney general has demanded MTN pay the $2 billion in September. The company has said the tax demand is without merit and the attorney general has exceeded his powers in making the request.

    Lawyers for the Nigerian government requested the adjournment.

    Nigeria is MTN’s biggest market, with 58 million users in 2018 and accounting for a third of the South African firm’s core profit. But the Nigerian business has faced challenges, ranging from the tax demand to a fine over unregistered SIM cards.

    MTN Nigeria, the company’s local unit, listed in Lagos in May in a 2 trillion naira ($6.5 billion) flotation and became the second-largest stock on the bourse by market value.

    The listing followed MTN Group’s agreement with Nigerian regulators to settle most of its long-running disputes.

    MTN said it would sell more shares to the public and increase local ownership in MTN Nigeria once the tax row was resolved.

    MTN agreed in December to make a $53 million payment to resolve a separate dispute in Nigeria after the central bank ordered the company and its lenders to bring back to Nigeria $8.1 billion it was alleged to have repatriated using improperly issued paperwork between 2007 and 2008.

    The settlement ended a four-month row that had hammered MTN’s share price in Johannesburg.

  • Alleged Copyright Infringememt: Artist slams N300m suit against MTN, others

    An Abuja-based musical artist, Liberty Williams has sued MTN Nigeria Communication Ltd. and three others demanding N300 million damages over alleged copyright infringement.

    In the suit filed before a Federal High Court, Abuja,, Williams with stage name, ” “Pupayannis” joined MTN Chief Executive Officer, Ferdi Moolman, No Where to Run Entertainment Ltd. and its Chairman Emmanuel Abanah as co-defendants.

    The plaintiff alleged that MTN in collaboration with No Where to Run Entertainment Company offered his song “Love is Everything” to its millions of subscribers as ring tone and caller tune without his consent.

    He alleged that for more than three years, the defendants reproduced, stored and electronically sold the song to the subscribers upon the payment of N50 each for one month with the option of monthly renewals of same amount per month.

    The suit filed by Rockson Igelige Chambers, the plaintiff asked the court to declare that the sale or offer for fee of the song he composed without his consent constitute infringement on his copyright.

    In a statement of claim, the plaintiff said he wrote, composed and financed the production of the song in July 2013, three months before he entered into an agreement with No Where to Run Entertainment Ltd.

    He contended he did not at any time surrendered the master tape and the right of the song to the entertainment company and its Chief Executive.

    The plaintiff said the agreemwnt he signed with the entertainment company did not include the right to use or licence and assign the copyright of his past works.

    He urged the court to grant an order of injunction restraining MTN from further selling his song to their customers.

    The plaintiff also urged the court to award against the defendants the sum of N200 million as general damages and N100 million aggravated and punitive damages in his favour.

    In a statement of defence, Abanah and the recording company urged the court to dismiss the suit because the plaintiff has no copyright over the song.

    They contended that the plaintiff was working on the song when they signed recording artist agreement with him to exploit and market his brand and works.

    They said the song that became the subject matter of the case was different from the rough version that the plaintiff was working on.

    The defendant alleged that the plaintiff filed the suit to evade refunding them the expenses incurred in packaging him.

    For his part, MTN said the deployment of the song as caller tune and ring tone was pursuant to the recording artist agreement the plaintiff had with Abanah and his recording company.

    The communication company contended that the the plaintiff’s claim of copyright infringement is misconceived and the suit is “a mere dispute between the plaintiff and the recording label.

    Meanwhile, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu has awarded N50,000 fine against MTN for failure to move its defence in the court on Tuesday.

    At the resumed hearing of the case, Counsel to the plaintiff, Dr Ogaga Ifowodo urged the court to grant an order for the fine when the defendants failed to call their witnesses.

    Justice Ojukwu adjourned the case until Sept. 24, for definite hearing of MTN defence and directed that the other defendants should be put on notice of the new hearing date.

  • Negotiated settlement: MTN pays N55bn final instalment to NCC

    Negotiated settlement: MTN pays N55bn final instalment to NCC

    MTN Nigeria Plc says it has paid the sixth and final instalment of N55 billion negotiated settlement to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    The Chief Corporate Relations Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr Tobechukwu Okigbo, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

    According to him, the amount completes MTN’s payment of the N330 billion negotiated settlement agreed between the NCC and the company in 2016.

    “The successful resolution of the fine was the outcome of active collaboration between the NCC and MTN.

    “We are very pleased to have completed the payment of the N330 billon negotiated settlement with the NCC.

    “We are particularly gratified to be in a position to have fully met the terms of the settlement within the agreed time frames.

    “I thank the NCC for constructive and collaborative approach to this issue, and believe that we emerge from it with a stronger relationship focused on ensuring maximum value is delivered to our people from a strong and growing telecoms sector,” he said.

    NAN reports that MTN and the NCC reached a negotiated settlement in relation to the fine imposed on MTN in 2015 as a result of a dispute over the disconnection of unregistered SIM cards in its subscriber base.

  • MTN Nigeria converts to Plc ahead of listing on NSE

    MTN Nigeria converts to Plc ahead of listing on NSE

    Telecoms giant MTN Nigeria Communications on Wednesday took a huge step towards its listing on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), with its conversion from a private to a public company.

    In a statement, it said it had completed its conversion, describing the exercise as a legal requirement and key milestone preparatory to its listing by introduction on the Exchange’s floor.

    The listing will create a new telecoms asset class for investors and provide more Nigerians opportunity to participate in MTN’s business.

    The listing is one of the final settlement conditions for the huge fine imposed on MTN by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for subscribers’ identity module (SIM) registration infraction.

    Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ferdi Moolman, said: “Our conversion to a Plc is a major step towards listing by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in the first half of 2019.

    “It is a reaffirmation of our long-term commitment to expanding investment opportunities for Nigerians, in addition to providing everyday services to them. We look forward to continuing our engagement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and NSE to take forward the listing process.”

    Last month, the telco unveiled its earnings for the 2018 financial year, recording growth above inflation in full service revenue (17.2 per cent) and the addition of nearly six million new subscribers to the network.

    The company announced earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of N453.1 billion and expanded EBITDA margins to 43.6per cent (excluding the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) resolution amount).

    It added 4.5 million active data customers during the year, delivering data revenue growth of 39.3per cent and expanding to 18.7 million the number of people that it connects to the possibilities that the internet provides.

    Moolman said: “Nigeria is one of the largest markets within the MTN portfolio and central to its growth strategy.”

    “The upcoming listing is a key milestone for the MTN group and is part of its commitment to localisation in the markets in which it operates.”