MTN Nigeria and the Kogi State Government have reached a resolution following a dispute over area coverage discrepancies and alleged tax evasion, involving the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency (KUIMCA) and the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS).
The resolution was disclosed by Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), stating that the issues that led to the shutdown of MTN operations in the state have been resolved, with services expected to be restored by Wednesday.
The dispute stemmed from a compliance issue between MTN Nigeria and KUIMCA, arising from MTN’s alleged failure to adhere to state regulations and underreporting the quantity of its optic fibre infrastructure in the state.
According to KUIMCA, the telecom giant complained of being overbilled regarding the area it covers in the state, which led to a verification exercise that revealed MTN’s optic fibre presence was more extensive than declared.
MTN Nigeria claimed to have 48 optic fibre lines in the state, while the verification exercise showed that the telecom’s optic fibre in the state exceeded that number.
In addition, the KGIRS also accused the telecom giant of evading tax and submitting irrelevant documents during compliance checks.
This dispute led to a court-ordered seal-off of MTN offices in the state, halting MTN’s communication services in Kogi.
The shutdown left MTN subscribers scrambling for alternative networks, consequently affecting businesses and social activities.
With the resolution of the issue, services are expected to be fully restored by Wednesday, allowing businesses and social life to return to normal.
