Vice President Kashim Shettima has lauded the donation of N1 billion to the federal government’s Food Support Programme and 4, 600 units of digital devices for distribution to schools by telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria.
The vice-president said this Friday when he received the chairman of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa.
He said the gesture by MTN towards government’s efforts in addressing hardship in the country was worthy of emulation and indicative of its commitment to the development of the Nigerian economy.
“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, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I want to sincerely thank you for this gesture,” he said.
He said the donation by the company would be judiciously managed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
On the distribution of 4, 600 digital devices, each pre-installed with the U-lesson application, Shettima said the MTN team would liaise with his office to work on the beneficiary criteria and facilitate the distribution of the devices to secondary schools in the six geo-political zones.
He expressed confidence that the gesture by the company would go a long way in supporting the government’s efforts to address the situation in the country, including support for the educational needs of the poor and vulnerable.
He called on other companies in the country to emulate MTN in the area of corporate social responsibility, and assured the business community that the Tinubu administration remained pro-business, stressing that the government’s policies would “begin to manifest for all to see in a short time.”
In his remarks, the MTN Nigeria boss commended the federal government for the efforts to revive the economic fortunes of the country through various initiatives rolled out across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He pledged the company’s support to the present administration, stressing that the gesture was 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.”
He said, “It aims to support the most vulnerable, marginalised, and underserved communities, ensuring no one is left behind through increased collaboration and partnership with the federal government.”