Over 6,000 Jobs On The Line In Nigeria As Xenophobic Attacks Continue In South Africa

As xenophobic attacks continue in South Africa and Nigerians threaten to attack South African organisations in the country, MTN Nigeria has warned that any attempt to attack it or boycott its services may lead to the loss of jobs by over 6,000 currently engaged by the firm.

MTN’s Corporate Service Executive, Wale Goodluck, stated this in Lagos following protests by young Nigerians at its Abuja and Benin offices against the spread of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where the company originates from.

Goodlick explained that there are only 12 expatriates working for MTN in the country, compared to a workforce of 6,000 Nigerians.

“So, if people go ahead with their threats to attack our facilities, what that means is that we may be forced to close down the business in Nigeria and about 6,000 Nigerians that make up 99 per cent of our workforce will be unemployed. Then, when you look at our support chain, we have about 500,000 Nigerians gainfully employed. So, boycotting our services simply means destroying so many other Nigerian businesses and making over 500,000 other Nigerians to lose their jobs,” he said.

“This business supports a lot of businesses across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Many of the businesses that are affiliated to South Africa are in the retail space, supporting the growth of Nigeria and employing so many Nigerians,” he added.

However, the company urged the government of South Africa to put a stop to the spread of xenophobic attacks in the country.