Buhari assures of commitment to enabling environment for businesses to thrive

President Muhammadu Buhari, receiving the Chairman, MTN Group, Mcebisi Jonas, at State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, assured that he is committed to providing environment conducive to business in Nigeria.

The president maintained that the Federal Government is committed to providing an enabling environment for businesses to succeed, as partnerships between the public and private sectors remain the most viable means of bringing prosperity to the masses. He acknowledged the progress MTN has made in the country.

“I am pleased to hear of the progress you are making in Nigeria, especially, in supporting our digital inclusion programs. Your proposed projects, such as the rural telephony project, will surely complement our economic diversification and financial inclusion programs by connecting the producers based in rural areas to consumers located in our major towns and cities,” the President said.

He said government was looking at ways to increase the level of security across critical national infrastructure, noting that it would guarantee seamless service delivery and also facilitate investments across the country.

President Buhari said that Nigeria is Africa’s largest telecommunications market, and MTN’s largest market, adding: “Our hope is for operators like MTN to continue to focus on delivering quality service at reasonable prices. If we put our minds together, such win-win positions are achievable.”

The MTN Group Chairman said he was visiting along with top executives of the telecoms company to show appreciation to President Buhari, “because most of the issues we raised during your visit to South Africa have been addressed, and there is progress on the remaining ones.”

He said the Group has utmost commitment to investing in Nigeria, and would commit the sum of $1.6 billion from its operations in the country to strengthen its network and systems.

“We are fully aligned with the strategic agenda of government and are committed to strengthening the digital economy of the country,” Mr Jonas said.