This milestone event, themed “Building Together,” served as a powerful testament to the resilience and deepening economic bond between Africa’s two largest economies.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whose address was delivered by Folashade Ambrose-Mendebem, the commissioner for Commerce, Trade, and Investment, hailed the NSACC as a vital foundation for bilateral economic diplomacy.

He specifically emphasised the work of the Lagos State Government in promoting economic development and the Chamber’s crucial role in facilitating trade, investment, and market guidance, which has benefited South African enterprises operating within Lagos.

The Governor then issued a strategic call to action, urging the business community to pivot towards transformative investments in key emerging sectors. These sectors, including manufacturing, fintech, entertainment, and green energy, represent the future of economic growth and diversification.

Taking the podium, Dr. Ije Jidenma, the Chair of the NSACC, framed the Chamber’s 25th anniversary as an acknowledgement of the maturity and strength of the Nigerian-South African economic bond.

“This 25-year milestone shows that despite the ups and downs, Nigeria and South Africa want to work together. We must go beyond perception and narrative; our people want collaboration,” she said.

Dr. Jidenma clarified that this milestone was less of a commemoration and more of a forward-looking approach towards achieving greater impact in Nigerian-South African relations.

She acknowledged the significant contributions of founding members and corporate partners, whose commitment sustained the institution through political and economic turbulence.

Looking ahead, Dr. Jidenma articulated a strategic plan centred on building trust and ensuring the NSACC makes a profound impact on the bilateral commercial relationship over the next five years.

Prof. Bobby Moroe, the South African Consul-General in Lagos, expressed that the Chamber’s silver jubilee was a cause for excitement, noting its timely alignment with 31 years of unbroken diplomatic relations between the two nations. Prof. Moroe offered high praise to the NSACC for successfully “holding the fort” for 25 years, ensuring commercial relations were effectively harnessed even under difficult continental circumstances.

He took the opportunity to highlight the immense opportunity presented by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

In his closing remarks, he strongly encouraged business leaders in the room to leverage their combined strengths and the structures of the NSACC to push forward the agenda of continental economic integration.

A central feature of the evening was the prestigious awards ceremony, which celebrated individuals and organisations instrumental in strengthening Nigeria-South Africa ties.

Tobechukwu Okigbo, chief corporate services & sustainability officer, MTN Nigeria, had the honour of presenting the awards, and MTN won the award for Exceptional Partnership

The evening concluded with high-level networking, reinforcing the spirit of continental brotherhood and shared optimism for a prosperous, integrated African economy as the NSACC embarks on its next 25 years of partnership and progress.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that repeated attempts to serve Toriola and the others with court documents had been deliberately thwarted. 

Representing the commission, legal counsel Nsitem Chizenum stated: “We have made several efforts and we equally used the bailiff of this court to serve them, but it seems they were evading service, my lord.”

The FCCPC had filed a two-count charge against MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Toriola, Chief Corporate Services Officer Tobechukwu Okigbo, and Regulatory Affairs General Manager Ikenna Ikeme. 

The charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/354/2024), dated 19 July 2024 and filed three days later, alleges deliberate failure to comply with a lawful request for documents during an ongoing investigation. It also accuses the executives of obstructing regulations to probe MTN’s compliance.

None of the defendants appeared in court. No lawyer represented them either. According to Chizenum, the FCCPC has now involved the Nigeria Police to help ensure the accused are brought before the court. The judge, Justice Hauwa Yilwa, has set 25 September 2024 as the new date for arraignment.

The first count accuses the defendants of failing to produce documents requested via a formal summons on 17 May 2024. A follow-up extension, granted by the commission on 5 June, was also ignored.

The second count states that by refusing to respond to statutory notices, the defendants obstructed the FCCPC’s ongoing inquiry, an offence under Sections 33(3) and 111(1) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.

This is not Toriola’s only brush with regulatory accusations. Earlier this year, in a separate case, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) dragged MTN and its CEO into another courtroom drama. 

The commission alleges that between 2010 and 2017, MTN unlawfully used copyrighted music by Nigerian artist Maleke Moye as caller tunes without the artist’s permission. 

Others named in that case include MTN executive Nkeakam Abhulimen, Fun Mobile Ltd, and its CEO Yahaya Maibe. That case is still pending before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

The ICT company received nominations at the awards for its services and innovations over the past year in categories including Company of the Year; Corporate Image; Corporate Social Responsibility and; Special Event/Sponsorship and CEO of the Year.

MTN’s growth is evident in its revenue which has doubled from N1 trillion in 2018 to N2 trillion at the end of the financial year in 2022 with its strongest growth achieved in 2021 and 2022 at 22.9 percent and 21.6 percent respectively.

In December 2021, MTN Nigeria became the first Nigerian company to make its public offer of 575 million sales in shares accessible to retail investors through a unique digital platform, Primary Offer. Similarly, the company partnered with the Nigerian government to rehabilitate the Enugu-Onitsha 110-kilometre expressway under the 10-year Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITC).

In 2022, the company also launched the Media Innovation Programme in partnership with Pan-Atlantic University to upskill media practitioners in Nigeria.

These initiatives, with efficient public and private stakeholder engagement and communication support by Public Relations and Communications company BHM, culminated in MTN Nigeria and its leadership becoming recipients of the 2023 SABRE Africa Company of the Year and CEO of the Year certificates.

MTN Nigeria’s recent rebranding to a technological company offering a bouquet of digital services has attracted widespread commendation in recent times, and its excellent achievements in the technology space were also rewarded with its recognition as having a great Corporate Image.

The recognition was bolstered by the technology company’s successful acquisition of the 5G spectrum and the launch of the advanced 5G network in different parts of Nigeria in 2022. If properly harnessed, the 5G network is predicted to deliver $13.2 trillion in global economic value by 2035 and can generate 22.3 million jobs in the 5G global value chain alone within the same period. The advanced network has the potential to boost Nigeria’s socio-economic ecosystem, particularly by improving access to essential services such as finance, health, and education.

MTN was also recognised as an organisation with an impactful Corporate Social Responsibility for its innovative Y’ellopreneur, which is distinctive for its ambition to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria’s employment and entrepreneurship landscape. In its debut phase, at least 500 women entrepreneurs were able to build capacity, with 101 receiving funding worth N2 million for their respective businesses under the empowerment programme.

MTN’s contribution to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria and its partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as the Official Communications Partner earned it a Certificate of Excellence in the Special Event/Sponsorship category.

Over the past two decades, MTN has demonstrated its commitment to elevating Nigeria’s standing in world football by collaborating with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and investing in various football camps and scholarship programs to develop young footballing talents in the country.

The most recent of such transformative programmes by the ICT company was the establishment of the NPFL/La Liga U-15 tournament in 2022 to identify and train the best young football talents in Nigeria.

In a related event, Funso Aina, MTN Nigeria’s senior manager, external relations, became the first African to win the “Innovator of the Year” award in the brands’ category at the 2023 SABRE IN2 Awards.

Speaking on the SABRE recognition, Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services Officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “We are deeply honoured to have been recognised across multiple categories at the SABRE Africa awards. These accolades are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and the contributions of all our partners towards our success. At MTN, we remain committed to delivering innovative and impactful solutions that enhance the lives of communities where we operate. These certificates are a clear validation of our efforts and we will continue to strive towards excellence in all that we do.”

Effective PR and communication strategies are critical in driving brand awareness, facilitating partnerships, and expanding market share. Due to its increased adoption and its potential to impact brand growth, the global public relations market size is expected to grow to $133 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 5.7%.

The 2023 SABRE Africa awards ceremony was held in Lusaka, Zambia, as part of the 2023 African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference.

The annual event, organised by PRovoke Media, celebrates public relations and communication excellence in Africa, particularly in the areas of branding, reputation, and engagement.

It’s only when you travel like this that you experience the richness of our diversity, providing a much-needed perspective and deeper understanding of our country.

When you can’t see a country for what it really is, then you are especially vulnerable to the manipulation of more radical elements. Travelling through these places gives one a direct connection to them, and it is those connections that are so important to our cohesion.

Unfortunately, the option to travel by road is more limited today than it has been in the past, especially taking into consideration the prevailing security challenges.

Nigeria currently is quite low in the global ranking of road networks to people ratio, with many important roads in various state of disrepair.

This has an impact, not only on our individual ability to explore and understand our nation, building connections between us, but on our economy; limiting domestic trade, commerce and tourism, driving up costs and so reducing our competitiveness. In turn, this impacts productivity, employment and puts a brake on improvements to living standards.

When a farmer struggles to get his produce to the market, the quality of the produce available to the consumer is lower and costs more. When a petroleum marketer needs to move product from Lagos to Kano, the time it takes is a direct input into the price differentials we see across the country.

When it takes longer for a can of Coca-Cola to navigate the roads in the East, then it costs more for the consumer when it gets there. When tourists fly into major cities but are unwilling to brave our roads and cannot explore our regions, we lose not just income, but the ability to share our culture and heritage with others.

At a very human level, poor roads contribute to unnecessary accidents and deaths. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) estimates that 3,700 people lost their lives in the first ten months of 2022, and road quality is one of the top-ten causes of those accidents.

These challenges are not new, and the impact is understood by the government. The Senate has estimated that Nigeria loses over N1 trillion in annual revenue due to bad roads, revenue which is critical to us as a nation.

The Federal Roads Management Agency (FERMA) estimates that the cost of loss in man-hours due to traffic caused by poor roads is N1.02 trillion every year.

This is before we consider the additional costs associated with price inflation that Nigerians and Nigerian businesses have to absorb.

Many will put the responsibility to fix roads solely on government. Besides, what are the governments at various levels doing if they cannot fix the roads.

Indeed, in fairness to the current administration, a lot of work has been done in both road repairs and the construction of new ones. But the truth is, the expectations are very high. However, the reality is that the government alone cannot fix all the roads.

They only have to be strategic and take the lead on an integrated approach to providing motorable roads to the citizenry, which is why in recognition of the importance of improving our road infrastructure, the Nigerian government conceived and launched the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit (RITC) in 2019, a tax incentive programme to crowd in private sector finance for road construction, maintenance and repair.

It is designed to accelerate the investments that can be made to improve the network of roads in the country.

The government recognises the severity of the funding gap that exists, and that partnerships are required to deliver better roads, faster.

Not only does the RITC programme mobilise additional funding, it ensures that public budgets can be allocated to other equally pressing development priorities. When done well, with proper planning, design and monitoring, these programmes attract significant private sector support and deliver impressive results.

Recognising that the RITC programme encapsulates everything that we at MTN call shared value, we are proud to have marked the 20th anniversary of our operation in Nigeria in 2021, by successfully bidding to reconstruct the 110km dual carriage Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

There is no better way of demonstrating the strength of the partnership between MTN and Nigeria, than by directly contributing to a project that benefits the government, business and the people by improving people’s ability to connect. It is a tangible manifestation of our belief that “We’re good together” and an extension of our purpose to enable the benefits of a modern connected life to everyone.

MTN will invest N202.8 billion in the rehabilitation of the road, receiving tax credits of the equivalent value that it can use to offset future tax liabilities. Work has already commenced on the road with a delivery schedule that anticipates people will be able to use it within 18 months. We fully understand the strategic importance of the Enugu-Onitsha road to the eastern economy and Nigeria at large. For us, the completion of the rehabilitation of the expressway is more than fixing a road. It is more than a road; it is connecting people and opening an economy. It is about creating memories for people to appreciate the beauty of our land.

I am incredibly excited at the potential of this partnership to embed a culture of collaboration between the public and private sector in Nigeria.

It is not just MTN that recognises this opportunity. The strong design of the RITC is evidenced in the range of other private sector partners that are joining the programme. By working together, we can accelerate progress towards national development goals, make life easier for Nigerians and improve the prospects for all businesses, large and small.

Personally, I look forward to driving on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, to re-ignite my passion for road trips, and seeing the vibrant beauty that is Nigeria. It is not just about fixing a road; it is about accelerating connectedness and building lasting partnerships.

We’re good together!

About the Writer:

Tobechukwu Okigbo is the Chief Corporate Services Officer of MTN Nigeria.

Speaking on the current state of the tech ecosystem at the Technology Breakout Session Panel at the Ehingbeti Economic Summit, which was held at the Eko Hotels and Suites on October 12, 2022, Okigbo, said, “From a funding perspective, major Nigerian companies can enable the growth of the ecosystem by making major investments in these startups.

“This will send a signal to the external community and most certainly increase the amount of investment these startups will receive. Nigerian companies should partner with startups as a corporate social investment to create shared value,” he said.

MTN Nigeria recently announced the MTN Pulse Blow My Hustle initiative, which aligns with the brand’s promise to support existing businesses and startups. 

The initiative, which launched on Friday, October 14th, 2022, is aimed at providing grants and capacity building to 100 young Nigerian business owners aged 16 to 30. 

The 100 shortlisted participants will undergo a two-week training session after which 20 finalists will compete for a range of grants as high as N10 million, which will be awarded based on the quality of pitches presented during the grand finale.

According to The Nigerian Start-Up Ecosystem Report 2022 by Disrupt Africa, Nigeria, with at least 481 active startups across the country, constitutes one of Africa’s “big four” startup ecosystems, along with Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa.

Between 2015 and 2022, 383 tech startups raised a total of $2,068,709,445, making Nigeria one of the continent’s most popular investment destinations. Earlier this year, Nigerian fintech firm ‘Flutterwave’ received a US$250 million Series D round, the largest round on record. This reflects the growing maturity of the Nigerian ecosystem and its fintech prowess.

Despite this growth, Nigeria faces significant challenges, including a lack of financing options and inadequate broadband internet infrastructure.

Nigeria’s success in the tech ecosystem necessitates ongoing infrastructure investment to ensure the country keeps up with global counterparts such as Silicon Valley, New York, London, Boston, and Beijing.

Recent developments, such as the Nigeria Startup Bill and MTN’s commercial 5G rollout, are expected to propel growth that will enable Nigeria to catch up with its global counterparts.

The CCSO, MTN Nigeria, made the comment at the Ehingbeti Economic Summit’s technology panel discussion on October 12, 2022, at the Eko Hotels and Suites. 

The panelists who discussed Driving Value through Tech by Positioning Lagos as a Top Destination for Innovators included tech heavyweights such as: COO, Flutterwave, Bode Abifarin; Founder/CEO, Kasi Cloud, Johnson Agogbua; Senior Special Assistant on Science and Technology to the Governor of Lagos State, Saheed Balogun; and Principal Program Manager – The Garage West Africa, Microsoft,  Soromfe Uzomah.

The 9th Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit, themed Lagos 2022- 2052: Charting the Paths to Sustainable Socioeconomic Growth, which was held from October 11 – 12, 2022, provided a constructive and engaging forum for members of the public and private sectors to share ideas that would stimulate socio-economic growth not only in Lagos but throughout the country, such as the RITC scheme.

Speaking at the summit, Okigbo said, “I suggest that the government work on creating an environment, put policies in place, and allow corporate bodies to invest in infrastructure.

The more the corporate bodies do it, the less the government has to invest and the more money the government has to intervene in the specific places that need intervention.” 

The latest partnership between MTN Nigeria and the Federal Government is an example of how the government can facilitate the enabling environment for the private sector to invest in infrastructure that will propel economic growth.

Recall that in January 2019, President Buhari signed Executive Order 7 establishing the RITC scheme, which allows the private sector to invest tax liabilities in the country’s road construction, repair and maintenance.

The scheme saves the government money while also ensuring that other critical sectors receive much-needed funding.

Participating companies will be entitled to claim a tax credit for the total cost (project cost) incurred in the construction or rehabilitation of an eligible road against their future Company Income Tax (CIT) liability until full cost recovery is achieved.

MTN Nigeria expressed readiness to reconstruct the Enugu-Onitsha expressway under the RITC in August 2021, and with this approval, the ICT giant will complete the dualisation of the 110-kilometer road.

According to a Global Competitiveness Report, Nigeria ranks 131st in the world and  31st in Africa based on performance in the provision of road infrastructure, with a score of 2.5 out of 7.

Despite having the continent’s largest economy, Nigeria continues to struggle with improving its transportation system to meet its needs.