By Chinenye Anuforo
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Nigeria, (MTN) Mr Karl Toriola, yesterday, said the telecommunications firm has so far paid N3.5 trillion in levies and taxes to the Federal Government of Nigeria since it commenced business in 2001.
Toriola who stated this in his welcome remarks at a media interactive codenamed ‘Brunch with Karl’ at Lagos Business School, in Lekki, Lagos said that the MTN had also committed over N3.4 trillion to capital investment across the country.
He said that MTN had enabled broad socio-economic development by creating values for shareholders, with over N2.5 trillion dividends paid from inception.
This was even as he assured investors in the company they would be paid dividend from its trading profit after the sharehoders approval at its annual general meeting slated for today. The MTN boss explained that more than 30 million Nigerians have benefited from an estimated N28 billion Corporate Social Responsibility investments through the MTN Foundation.
“MTN is a community that connects to the society and is truly committed to showcasing and developing the boundless talents of the people of Nigeria.
“MTN has been enabling broad socio-economic development by supporting financial infrastructure through over 174,500 ATMs and POS for electronic payments, while it has also created alternative payment channels to 9.4 million active customers.
“It has equally provided high-capacity internet for over 160 public and private universities, polytechnics and colleges,” he said.
According to Toriola, MTN has committed N28 billion, through Yello Jppe Initiative, to support broad base of stakeholders.
He expressed the organisation’s commitment to carrying out its corporate social responsibility, stressing that it had provided jobs in every local government across Lagos.
Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria and Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) yesterday launched the MTN Media Innovation Programme (MTN MIP), which will be run by PAU’s School of Media and Communication (SMC).
The six-month, fully funded fellowship for Nigerian media practitioners is designed to support the sustainable development of the nation’s changing media scene. It is open to media practitioners across all spectrum, including print, electronic, online platforms and social media content creators. The course is designed to give participants a greater understanding of Nigeria’s technology sector and the nexus between media and technology; it will also leave participants better able to adapt to changing realities. Fellows will also have access to professional resources and mentorship from the SMC faculty.