COVID-19: MTN releases N1.4 billion worth of data, airtime for NCDC

MTN Group Limited, formerly M-Cell, is a South African multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in many African, European and Asian countries. 
Its head office is in Johannesburg. As of 30 June 2016, MTN recorded 232.6 million subscribers, making it the eighth largest mobile network operator in the world, and the largest in Africa. 
Active in over 20 countries, one-third of company revenue come from Nigeria, where it holds about 35% market share.

MTN Nigeria says its relationship with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was strictly commercial and the centre purchased its services like every other business organisation prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Responding to Chikwe Ihekweazu, the CEO of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, who said on Friday that telecommunication companies in Nigeria did not support the centre until the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, MTN said it has only become necessary to strongly support the centre now, as these are trying times for the nation.

“MTN is currently engaging with the NCDC and providing support as needed. As stated by the CEO of NCDC, we have come out strongly in supporting the Centre and we will continue to do so. 

Prior to now, our relationship with the Centre was commercial. By that I mean that they purchase services from us like any other organization. However, these are trying times. These are times of great need for our country. We are therefore leveraging our core strength to support the Centre,” the company said.

MTN in a twitter statement posted earlier today said they have released about 1.4 billion naira worth of Airtime, data, and devices as part of their support for front line health agencies through NCDC. This is known as the Y’ello hope package relief support.