Despite struggling to pay the N330 billion fine imposed on it by Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the MTN Group has expressed faith in the country’s economy, promising to put in more investments this year and years ahead.
The South African telecom operator’s Group Chairman/Chief Executive, Mr. Phuthuma Freedom Nhleko disclosed this when he led a delegation to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters in Abuja, a statement from the commission’s Director of Public Affairs Tony Ojobo said on Thursday.
Nhleko, who was received by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta and top management of the Commission said. “We had challenges in the past, during the period of the fine, and we are grateful for the role, the Commission played towards an amicable resolution”.
Nhleko whose visit to the NCC management is a valedictory one as he steps down as Group Chairman in March, 2017 said MTN Group has injected over $16billion into the Nigerian operations and “we have a very long way to go and so ask for spectrum which is the oxygen and life blood to navigate this long and tedious investment journey, without spectrum, the sector will suffocate”.
Nhleko specifically solicited for more spectrum allocation and a release of the one that belonged to Visafone, whose equity shares MTN acquired in 2015.
