MTN has brought its humanitarian side to bear on its subscribers affected by the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war by giving them free credits and short message services, SMS.
The tech company, announced today, it will be offering free international calls and SMS to all existing prepaid and postpaid customers, effective immediately.
This offer is aimed at supporting customers to stay in touch with their loved ones while eliminating associated International Direct Dialing (IDD) costs due to high International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) to Ukraine.
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In a statement, by the MTN CEO, Karl Toriola, “We understand that some of our customers in Ukraine have experienced challenges to contact their loved ones. As a result, we have stepped in with support to ensure that our customers, both at home and in Ukraine, are still able to connect with family and friends, All of our customers will benefit from the waived SMS and voice call fees to and from Ukraine.
“This blanket waiver has been put in place as an immediate response to the need,”
MTN sources reveal each existing active subscriber on the network will receive 30 mins of free voice calls and 50 free SMS. The offer will be valid all through March and customers will be able to check minutes/SMS allocated, volume used, balance, and expiry date. In the offer, unused complimentary minutes will expire on 31st March or any earlier date as advised across all phone numbers and will not roll over.
Additionally, the company has also anticipated concerns with regard to connection issues and has implemented surefire measures to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.
Toriola also said: “We’ve worked closely with our industry body GSMA to make the connection easier. Whilst MTN does not have operations in Ukraine, we have heeded the call to remain responsive to our customers in their time of need.”
MTN’s intervention comes as Russian troops push further into Ukraine, with hundreds of thousands, including Nigerians, stranded and fleeing the country for safety. Citing data from the government, an estimated 4,000 Nigerians were studying in tertiary institutions across Ukraine in 2020.