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MTN Expresses Commitment to Socio-economic Development
Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to playing a role in driving socio- economic growth and development in the country.
According to Ahmad Farroukh, the company’s chief executive officer, ‘one of our key objectives when we launched our operation in 2001 was to use telecommunications as a platform to unleash Nigeria’s strong potential for development’.
In providing telecommunications services to over 25 million active subscribers, he said, MTN operation has registered an impact that clearly underscores the wide-ranging economic multiplier nature of investment in telecommunications. The multidimensional impact of our over $5 billion investment in our network rollout includes job creation and the empowerment of thousands of small and medium businesses.
“Today, in addition to over 5000 base stations, MTN has put in place a 5,411 kilometre fibre optic transmission backbone, which is the longest private infrastructure of its kind in Africa. The fibre optics ‘super highway’ is the catalyst for an ICT revolution which will impact the whole of sub-Saharan Africa,” Mr. Farroukh said.
He also revealed that in recognition of customer demand in the busiest commercial hubs of the country, MTN is also erecting metropolitan ‘self healing’ fibre rings across major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Ibadan. The effect of the metropolitan network would be a dramatic improvement in the quality of service and increased robustness of the network in those areas.
Speaking on quality of service, Mr Farroukh said that in 2008 the company achieved an average monthly build rate of 120 base stations, a feat that has remained unsurpassed in Nigeria and indeed the rest of Africa. “We will continuously redouble our efforts to ensure that the growing needs of our country, for quality voice and data services are met in a most satisfactory manner”.
The company plans to invest over N180 billion on its network rollout in 2009. In 2008, it invested approximately N137 billion representing more than 30% of the CAPEX budget allocation for the entire MTN Group which has a footprint in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Mr. Farroukh also stated that the company would continue to make the necessary investments in telecommunications infrastructure as well as in all levels of government through the payment of tax.
He explained the importance that the company attaches to timely payment of its taxes in order to discharge its own civic responsibilities and to ensure that government receives the necessary resources to meet their own statutory obligations for the common good.
MTN paid approximately N151Billion in VAT and other levies to various agencies of Government during the period of its pioneer status from 2001-6.
‘We believe that tax compliance is key to good corporate citizenship. Indeed in 2008 we paid in excess of N87 Billion and we believe that this figure is a significant contribution to Nigeria’s GDP by a single company”.
It will be recalled that MTN Nigeria won the Lagos State award for the ‘Best corporate compliant company on P.A.Y.E payer’ in 2007 and 2008
The company has won numerous awards for its corporate citizenship, especially in the area of corporate social investment through the MTN Foundation.
Explaining the guiding principles of the MTN Foundation, Mr. Farroukh described corporate social responsibility as an integral part of the company’s business strategy.
He said that MTN through its Foundation would remain focused on implementing high impact corporate social investments across the country. To date, the Foundation which is funded by up to1% Profit after Tax from MTN has 107 project sites in 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory
Farroukh pointed out that the fortunes of the company therefore directly impacts the funds available for social investments, commenting that the company has been able to deploy sizeable funds to numerous initiatives that have improved the lives of numerous Nigerians.
‘Every recharge card that is bought contributes to the improvement of numerous lives. We have our customers to thank for all that we are able to do for the most vulnerable Nigerians through the Foundation,’ said Mr Farroukh.
Accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could increase Africa’s GDP by up to 4% over the next decade, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In a report released on Tuesday, titled Africa Can Grow Faster With AI—If It Moves Now, economists from the IMF’s Africa Department say current levels of AI adoption and utilisation are expected to contribute just 0.2% to the region’s GDP over the next 10 years.
However, the report says stronger adoption, supported by the right infrastructure and policies, could raise the economic impact to about 4% by extending AI beyond today’s digitally connected firms.
Martin Schindler and other IMF economists say: “AI adoption in sub-Saharan Africa currently lags well behind every other region. If richer economies race ahead while African firms and governments lag, the productivity gap between the region and the rest of the world will only widen.”
Early signs of AI adoption are emerging across Africa, with countries including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria developing AI strategies.
Telecommunications operators, including Vodacom, Econet, Africell and MTN, are also integrating AI into their operations and networks.
Other examples include chatbots supporting teaching and learning in Nigeria and the South African Revenue Service’s use of data analytics for targeted tax audits.
However, the IMF says AI adoption must extend beyond these early use cases to deliver meaningful economic benefits.
“For the region, AI’s main promise is not about replacing office workers, but boosting productivity across the economy—helping informal firms manage inventory, enabling farmers to increase yields, and supporting mid-sized firms to transition to formality and export readiness,” the report reads.
The IMF is urging governments to prioritise investment in reliable electricity, affordable broadband, data infrastructure and digital skills to support wider AI adoption.
Many African countries, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, continue to face electricity shortages, while broadband services remain costly and coverage is uneven.
The Fund believes stronger investment in power, connectivity, regional data infrastructure and digital skills would help unlock AI’s economic potential.
National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system to strengthen legal identity management and improve demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja on Tuesday, Mr Afolabi Yori, federal commissioner representing Kogi, said the initiative became operational nationwide on July 1, through the VitalReg platform.
Yori described the development as a landmark in Nigeria’s civil registration system, noting that it would modernise birth and death registration through a technology-driven platform that meets international standards.
He said the digital platform would improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria was accurately documented and securely stored.
According to him, civil registration is more than an administrative process, as it provides reliable statistics that support public policy formulation, resource allocation and national development planning.
“Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of births and deaths remain unregistered.
“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner said that the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure prompt documentation of vital events through the VitalReg platform.
Yori said the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, and reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel.
He disclosed that the platform was being operated under a Public-Private Partnership with Barnks-forte Technologies Ltd. as the commission’s technical partner to ensure system availability, cybersecurity and continuous technological improvement.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support the initiative by encouraging the prompt registration of births and deaths.
Earlier, Samuel Omonakpeme, director in Kogi, NPC State, described the commencement of the digital registration system as another milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
Omonakpeme stated that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for all.
He appreciated the Federal Government, the leadership of the commission, UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
The state director also urged parents, guardians, health institutions, community leaders, religious organisations and the media to mobilise public support for the timely registration of all births and deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that ICT personnel of the commission, led by Ehimoni Kolawole, conducted a live demonstration of the digital birth registration process using the VitalReg platform.
The demonstration showed that the registration process captures the biodata of both parents, while at least one parent must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) to complete the registration of a newborn.
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has alerted its customers to a fraudulent message circulating on social media, falsely claiming that electricity consumers can receive an additional 20 per cent bonus units when recharging their prepaid meters through unofficial channels.
In a statement issued by the company’s management on Monday, YEDC described the claim as false and urged customers to disregard the misleading information, stressing that it did not originate from the company.
According to the statement, YEDC does not offer bonus electricity units through individuals, agents, personal bank accounts, phone numbers, or social media contacts.
The company advised customers to purchase electricity tokens only through approved cashless payment platforms, including the YEDC Pay App, OPay, Interswitch, and other authorised vending channels, or to visit the nearest YEDC office for assistance.
YEDC also cautioned customers against sharing their meter details or personal information, or making payments to unauthorised persons claiming to represent the company.
The company further urged customers to rely exclusively on information disseminated through its official communication channels to avoid falling victim to fraud.
The management thanked customers for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to serving them.
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