Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe said the telecom company would invest N600 billion to spread ubiquitous broadband infrastructure over the next three years even as it rewarded 20 of its customers with cars.
Speaking at the 20 years anniversary ceremony for its customers and a cross-section of media professionals held at its corporate headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos on Sunday evening, Ndukwe said the telecom operator was fully prepared for the digital journey which the country is embracing especially the march for fifth generation (5G) mobile technology era.
“We see the multiplier effect connectivity services can have on the social and economic ecosystem. And now more than ever, I am optimistic about what the future holds for Nigeria’s digital economy and I look forward to building it together, with all of you.”
MTN rewarded 20 customers with brand new sport utility vehicles. The winners were randomly selected from subscribers that joined the network on the company’s anniversary each year since inception in 2001. An Editor of Guardian Newspaper, Chuks Nwanne, was one of the 20 MTN customers to receive a brand-new Honda HRV SUV from the company.
An MTN customer, Alfred Emwata Iserhienrhien who has been its subscriber since 2001 and one of the recipients of Honda HRV said “ I am happy about this gift; in fact, my mind is blown and on behalf of all the gifted persons I say thank you to MTN. We are all happy and grateful and will continue to dance because of this incredible gift.”
Speaking earlier, CEO, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, stated that this 20-year journey is the result of the boundless possibilities in our nation, the incredible potential that the Nigerian telecoms and technology sector represent, and the guidance and support that MTN has received from millions of Nigerians, in every corner of the country.
“We are here today because of the role that each of you – media, customers, trade partners, retailers – has played in this journey. For this, we are humbled and grateful. To all of you, we extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude, and we deliver an important message – the best is yet to come,” Toriola added.
The ICT and telecoms company began operations in Nigeria in August 2001. Twenty years later, it has become an integral part of the country’s telecommunications success story. Earlier in August, MTN gave all customers free airtime and mobile data worth over ₦8.4 billion to commemorate its anniversary.
MTN has announced a series of activities as part of its milestone anniversary celebration including, participating in the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Programme (RITC) for an opportunity to reconstruct some road networks in South-Eastern Nigeria, incorporating some of the latest technology, build a world-class campus in Nigeria and sell down, up to 14 per cent of its equity to Nigerians.
9Naija 