MTN Group delegation meets with Nigeria’s Communications Minister

MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas and President and CEO Ralph Mupita have met with Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) to discuss developments in the telecoms sector in Nigeria, including the country’s progress in updating subscribers’ SIM registration records with national identification numbers (NINs).

In the meeting – held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday – the Honourable Minister said that a total of almost 85 million NINs have been registered across the industry so far, adding that they will serve as the foundation of the country’s digital economy, which he noted was beginning to scale.

The talks also covered the development of 5G services in Nigeria and work to extend broadband connectivity to more people in rural areas. The Minister encouraged both MTN Group and MTN Nigeria to continue to invest in the sector and, in so doing, support the objectives of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.

Mupita updated the Minister on MTN Nigeria’s contribution of servers to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which is part of MTN’s efforts to accelerate NIN registration. This was appreciated by the Minister.