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| MTN Explains Reasons for Closing Offices Nationwide |
LAGOS—MTN Nigeria confirmed yesterday that it has closed its offices nationwide to protect its workers from further harm following incidents on Monday.
The telecom company stated that it is still assessing the damages caused by protesters who physically destroyed some of its facilities.
A reliable source at MTN said: "Yes, we had to make the decision to close offices nationwide to protect our workers. They have already suffered significant humiliation, and we did not want any more harm to come to them. However, this decision will not affect any of our services, which will continue to operate seamlessly in the background. What I don’t know is when we will reopen the offices. It will depend on the nature and duration of the nationwide protest."
Some individuals had reportedly instigated the protests to begin at MTN offices, and if this happens while workers are present, they could be subjected to further harm.
Recall that yesterday, the telecom company announced the closure of its offices and service centers nationwide, advising customers to use its digital channels for any support they may need.
Using its Customer Care handle on X, MTN sent out a notice of closure stating: “Please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, 30th July. We are available 24/7 to support you via our digital channels.”
The decision to close offices followed incidents where angry subscribers besieged MTN offices across the country, vandalizing and damaging facilities in reaction to the massive barring of subscribers’ lines in compliance with the NCC’s directive that any telephone line not properly linked with the National Identity Number be barred on July 30th.
Eyewitnesses recounted how angry subscribers pulled out the gates and barricades of the MTN service center on 23 Road, Festac Town, damaging valuable property.
Protests in Festac, Oshogbo, and Other Locations
In Oshogbo, Osun State, hundreds of subscribers also protested on Monday against the telcos' action of barring their lines. The protesters marched to various telecom operators' offices in the state, particularly the MTN Nigeria head office in Dada Estate.
Many protesters claimed to have arrived at the MTN office since 6:00 am to unblock their barred SIM cards but were unable to do so because the telco had shut its doors.
The protesters also blocked the Osogbo-Iwo road leading to the Oke-Fia area of the state capital, causing traffic disruptions and gridlock.
The customers, including elderly men, women, pregnant women, and civil servants, were visibly angry over the refusal to be attended to by the workers in the office.
According to a resident of Dada Estate, Mr. Ismail Ademola, subscribers had lined up since 8:00 am but were not attended to after several hours.
Another customer, Ifeoluwa Dayo, said, “I left my children at home since 7:00 am in Ikirun, Ifelodun local government area, only to be told to come back another day in this period of high transportation fare.”
At its shop in Maitama, Abuja, angry subscribers reportedly banged on the gate of the facility, threatening that the planned nationwide protest would start from MTN’s premises.
Security operatives, especially DSS officials, were later called in to calm the rising tension.
The situations in Festac, Oshogbo, and Abuja were just a few among many incidents at telcos’ offices in major cities, including Obalende, Victoria Island, Mushin, and Ikeja in Lagos State; Onitsha in Anambra State; Uyo in Akwa Ibom State; and Warri in Delta State.
Viral videos online show protesters venting their frustration and anger over the sudden disconnection. The protests highlight the disruption caused by the mass disconnection, with many subscribers demanding a resolution to the issue.
NCC’s Remedy
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) immediately directed all operators to urgently reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend, considering the short time available for consumers to verify their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs).
The commission's directive aimed to prevent further damage to the operators, but MTN had already suffered substantial losses.
An MTN source told Vanguard that the company was disappointed but not surprised at the way the anger over call barring was directed at it, as this is the price a big operator pays, especially when it dominates the market share.
MTN leads the market with 81.7 million active subscriptions as of March this year, while the closest operator, Airtel, had 63.3 million subscriptions. Globacom and 9Mobile had 62.1 million and 11.6 million active subscriptions, respectively.
