The Mobile telephone network(MTN) has donated one billion naira to the Federal Government for a food support program and about 4,600 digital devices, each pre-installed with the U-Lesson application, for distribution to schools.
This was disclosed in a meeting held on Friday, 9th August in Abuja. Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Chairman of MTN Nigeria, paid a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has expressed his satisfaction with this act and commended the giants in technology. “I am hugely proud of your (MTN’s) stability as a company and commitment to the progress of our country. We have witnessed a couple of changes in the industry, but you have remained stable and strong. On behalf of my boss, His excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I want to sincerely thank you for this gesture.”
For Senator Kashim Shettima, the Vice President of the Republic of Nigeria, the gesture by the telecommunications towards the government’s efforts in addressing hardship in the country is worthy of emulation and indicative of its commitment to the development of the Nigerian economy.
He believed that the gesture by the company would go a long way to support the government’s efforts to address the situation in the country, including support for the educational needs of the poor and vulnerable.
In Senator Shettima’s discussion with the Chairman of MTN, he said that the donation of the company will be properly managed by the company, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The Vice President said the MTN team will liaise with his office to work on the beneficiary criteria and facilitate the distribution of the devices to secondary schools in the six geopolitical zones.
The Vice President called on other companies in the country to emulate MTN in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility. He assured the business community that President Tinubu’s administration remains pro-business, and its policies will, in a short time, begin to manifest for all to see.
Dr. Ndukwe said, the one billion naira is targeted to “support the most vulnerable, marginalized, and underserved communities, ensuring no one is left behind through increased collaboration and partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria.” He also applauded the Government for its efforts to revive the economic fortunes of the country through various initiatives rolled out across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government.
He pledged the company’s support to the present administration, noting that the gesture is in line with MTN Nigeria’s shared value objectives of the “AMBITION 2025” strategy, where MTN seeks to support strategic initiatives of the federal government.
The company’s donation will support the Federal Government’s objective to increase digital literacy in secondary schools and improve creativity, analytical thinking, adaptability, and students’ access to current information in science and technology.
