MTN Nigeria has strongly condemned the xenophobic attacks taking place in South Africa and plans to help soothe the pain of the victims with financial support to the camps where victims currently reside.
Corporate Services Executive at MTN Nigeria, Akinwale Goodluck noted that the attacks were not a state-sponsored act and that they were limited to certain parts of the country. They were as a result of poverty and illiteracy.
He said there was no basis for reprisal attacks as MTN in Nigeria should be seen purely as a Nigerian business, with the majority of its workers from Nigeria.
He said over 6,000 Nigerians are employed as permanent workers by MTN Nigeria. About one million others work along the value chain, taking care of their families.
According to Goodluck, MTN which has over 60 million subscribers in the country, is the second largest tax payer to the Federal Government, adding that it has transited from being a telco to being a business enabler to the economy as demonstrated by the massive support it offers the financial sector of the economy by deploying its infrastructure to power the millions of automated teller machines (ATMs) across the country.
“MTN has invested $15 billion over the past decade to build infrastructure in Nigeria and expended another N10 billion on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the MTN Foundation that has supported the provision of health services to complement government’s efforts,” he said.
