Xenophobia Attack: MTN Nigeria Warns That Over 6,000 Will Be Jobless

According to Punch MTN Nigeria on Monday warned that should there be attacks on its facilities, it might be forced to close shop and 99 per cent of its over 6,000 workforce in the country, who are Nigerians, would be thrown into the labour market.

It also said that calls for the boycott of its services were unjustified as such an action would affect its support chain, which could cause another 500,000 Nigerians to lose their means of livelihood.

The company stated this in Lagos some hours after two groups protested in its Abuja and Benin offices against the killing of foreigners in its home country, South Africa.

According to the Corporate Service Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Wale Goodluck, there are only 12 expatriates working for the company in the country, compared to a workforce of 6,000 Nigerians.

Goodluck said, “So, if people go ahead with their threats to attack our facilities, what that means is that we may be forced to close down the business in Nigeria and about 6,000 Nigerians that make up 99 per cent of our workforce will be unemployed. “

"Then, when you look at our support chain, we have about 500,000 Nigerians gainfully employed. So, boycotting our services simply means destroying so many other Nigerian businesses and making over 500,000 other Nigerians to lose their jobs. “

This business supports a lot of businesses across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Many of the businesses that are affiliated to South Africa are in the retail space, supporting the growth of Nigeria and employing so many Nigerians.”

He noted that the company had spent in excess of $15bn on capital expenditure growing the telecommunications business in Nigeria.

“We see no revenge of Xenophobia and we commend the role the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa has played; at least there has been no fatality on the part of any Nigerian,” Goodluck added.

Nairaland drop your comment or don't you think this threat to nigerian people.

Seriously op I have been thinking about what mtn said, it's a big shame to this country that one foreign company would be giving us statistics of who will lose there jobs if they decide to pack up.

I bet they can say this in two years time cos I know God would have changed this country for good. For the sake of those who will lose their jobs I just feel the country should be mum and strategies on counter measures should in case such occurrence recur.






The gods are wise.... Sips palm wine...

Peoples General will create job nah.

So the total of 500k people will lose their job and mtn nd south africa would lose trillions of naira dollars rands anything one wishes to call it

we have OTHER communication networkS far better than MTN LET THEM GO AND DIE......

empty hen can't threaten us. Nigerians are tired of empty hen before now.
Six thousand workers can't be unemployed. That will pave way for glo, etisalat and zain to grow and mtn will be the loosers not nigerians.