Ict/Telecom
Workers Threaten To Shut Down MTN Office
Some aggrieved workers of the MTN call centre in Jos, have threatened to shut down the facilities over alleged “exploitation’’ by the management of the local station.
The workers told newsmen in Jos on Sunday that the communication outfit promised an upward review of their wages after confirming their appointments.
‘When we were recruited two years ago, we were given a flat salary of N35,000 per month with a promise that the figure would be “significantly increased’’ after we were confirmed.
“But to our dismay, we were only given a flat rate of N2,000. We find that simply unbelievable because our contemporaries in other states are paid between N100,000 and N120,000,’’ the workers claimed.
The worker, who pleaded anonymity, said they were no fewer than 2000 and insisted that they would shut down the centre if the management continued what they described as ‘organised exploitation.
“We do the same work with other colleagues in Lagos, Kano and Kaduna. There is no reason why the workers in those call centres should earn more than twice our wages here.
“Again, we run similar shifts. We went through similar training, so it is confusing that we should earn less than half of their own wages.’’
Our source learnt that MTN contracted a Lagos-based private firm, CNSSL Contact Center Limited, to recruit workers for the take- off of the Call Centre in 2010.
Documents made available to reporters in Jos indicated that CNSSL placed each worker on a salary of N120,000 a month instead of N35,000 the workers claimed they were receiving.
The staff, who said they suspected a rip-off, also claimed that the local management made some deductions from their salaries, monies meant for rice and oil given to them by MTN during Christmas.
“We know MTN usually gives such gifts free to its workers and even some customers while we were asked to pay for such items here is surprising,’’ one of the workers added.
They alleged that the centres were owned by some senior managers of MTN.
The staff also accused MTN of preventing them from forming a workers’ union and described the situation as “unfair’’, saying the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Plateau Government should intervene.
The Regional Technical Officer of CNSSL in Jos, Mr Adeboh Ejiga, refused to comment on the allegations and claimed that he was not allowed to speak to the media.
However, the MTN General Manager for Corporate Affairs, Mr Funmilayo Omogbenigun, said the company’s local outsourcing model was unique in the communication industry.
Omogbenigun, who rejected claims that the centre owners had any association with MTN or its board, said that they were selected “through a rigorous bidding process which ensured that the winner had demonstrable abilities in call centre management.
“We also insisted that their policies are aligned to MTN’s best practice with respect to the ethical treatment of employees.
“What we tried to do is to make sure that MTN staff provided by outsourced partners are remunerated in line with the current levels for their particular job profile and geographical area.’’
On the salary of the workers, Omogbenigun, said staff were paid based on their location and as such disparities were bound to exist.
“Our commitment to the welfare of those who work in our call centres is well established and we are unaware of any threat to shut down MTN’s call centre in Jos,’’ the officer said.
The Plateau Chairman of NLC, Jibrin Bancir, confirmed that the council was aware of the dispute between MTN and its workers in Jos.
“We have been investigating the conflict since 2011. If not for the nationwide strike on subsidy, we would have resolved the issue by now.’’
He said that the union leaders had met with all relevant officers in MTN who promised that the issue would soon be resolved.
“We have pleaded with the workers in the Jos office of MTN to be patient since we are already tackling the problems with the relevant officers,’’ Bancir said.
The union leader said the major issue was MTN’s refusal to allow the workers to form a union.
“MTN staff must unionise; Airtel had similar complaints at a point but now the workers there have a union.
“We have been going round all GSM service providers and want to ensure that workers there are allowed to have unions to channel their demands to management,’’ he said.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured Nigerians of accessible, resilient and safe digital space in the nation’s digital economy.
The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Rimini Makama, gave the assurance at the NCC’s Digital Economy Sensitisation Forum, with the theme, “Leaving No One Behind: Digital Access, Equity and Empowerment” in Abuja.
Makama said that the commission remained committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s national telecommunications infrastructure remained resilient, accessible and secure.
“Digital empoScientists Advocate Shared Responsibility To Boost Food Securitywerment must be inclusive. Without inclusion and equity, the benefits of the digital economy will remain unevenly distributed.
“The commission, through its Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and other initiatives, is actively extending digital opportunities to the unserved, underserved, physically challenged and vulnerable groups through several impactful programmes,” he said.
The Publicity Expert for the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr Nihinlola Fefa, said that the association had been an advocate of cyber security awareness and sensitisation over the years.
“ATCON has been a very key stakeholder in the ICT and telecom industry. We have always advocated for cybersecurity awareness and sensitisation.
“We have been giving our own input over the years. We interface with all the telecom companies. We do a lot of studies, and we also give our contributions in so many ways,” she said.
She commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, for deploying technology into rural communities.
According to her, though Nigeria is doing well in the area of cybersecurity, there is room for improvement.
“We are in a good position right now and we can do better from the government side,” she said.
Also speaking, the Head, IT and Cybersecurity, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Olorunisomo Isola, said that the commission had rolled out the necessary framework.
An economist, Dr Chinedu Amadi, has urged Nigerians to leverage the opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become competitive in the global business and social spaces.
Amadi, who is also the President, Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC), gave the urge during an interview with newsmen , in Abuja, Monday.
Amadi noted that humanity has always advanced by expanding its intelligence and capabilities through technology across different eras pointing out that AI now drives economic systems, social interactions and competitive advantage among nations globally.
“The world is entering a phase where humans and intelligent machines will share cognitive functions, so Nigeria should innovate or risk being sidelined in the emerging global digital order.
“The next frontier extends beyond AI tools to a deeper relationship between human consciousness and machine intelligence. This phase has the dawn of shared human machine cognition shaping future innovation and development worldwide,” he said.
Amadi noted that countries like the U.S., Japan and China already integrated AI into national planning, logistics and defence operations.
He warned that a deeper wave of collaboration between humans and intelligent systems is rapidly emerging
urging Nigeria and other African nations not to remain passive observers in this technological transition.
“Nigeria must innovate urgently or risk missing another major industrial revolution. Future global leadership will favour nations that create, regulate and ethically manage advanced technologies,” he added.
He said that the youthful population is viewed as a potential cognitive economy capable of driving digital creativity.
He advised policymakers and institutions to develop indigenous technologies, reflecting national priorities and moral values.
The president, however, noted that energy and agricultural sector can gain efficiency through predictive AI and advanced computation, adding that governance can also benefit from digital systems that strengthen transparency and curb corruption.
While noting that neural interfaces and quantum processing would soon merge human thought with computationAmadi said that the evolution demands ethical guidance, empathy and deeper human conscience in education system.
According to him, nations worldwide are racing to regulate AI and Nigeria also needs to define its strategic position.
“The future beyond AI will favour societies that balance innovation with wisdom and uphold human dignity,” he said.
The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited says the country’s digital broadcast subsector has expanded by 35 per cent to 75 per cent utilisation in two years.
This, it said, represented a milestone in the country’s digital transformation drive.
The Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, made the remark at a retreat with the theme: ‘Aligning for the Future: Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainable Growth”, in Abuja, Monday.
According to her the theme reflects NIGCOMSAT’s commitment to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation and positioning itself as a global satellite industry leader.
She said one of the notable achievements in its broadcast segment was the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project, describing it as not just a technical milestone but also a national service.
“This growth is a testament to the organization’s improved service delivery and stronger engagement with partners and clients.
“The DSO project, a collaborative effort with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is a key milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“NIGCOMSAT’s contribution to the project is enabling digital broadcasting penetration across the federation, cementing the organisation’s position at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” she said.
Egerton-Idehen said the achievements were expected to drive revenue growth, with target of three billion naira in annual revenue and eight billion naira in revenue within three years adding that the organisation’s expansion of broadband services and private sector partnership was key to achieving the goals.
“We cannot move boldly into the future without addressing the weight of the past. Our debt profile — both financial and operational — is a reality we must confront with strategy, discipline, and creativity.
“These are our headwinds. We acknowledge them openly because honesty is the first step toward transformation.,” Egerton-Idehen said.
She said in spite of challenges such as economic barriers and competition, the organisation remained optimistic about the future.
“We must out-innovate the market, deepen partnerships, and build a culture of solution-focused, profit-driven, and people-centered excellence.”
“The key initiatives include transitioning to software-defined satellites, expanding broadband services, and the NIGCOMSAT Accelerator for the Space Ecosystem.
“The organisation is prioritising public-private partnerships, branding, and communication, as well as investing in its people,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Data Science Nigeria, Olubayo Adekanbi, said satellite-based economy could revolutionise key sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, creating new job opportunities and increasing productivity.
“By providing internet access to remote areas, satellite technology can bridge the digital divide and ensure no one is left behind.
