MTN Nigeria Bags CBN Innovation Award For Second Consecutive Year

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has recognised leading information and communications technology (ICT) company, MTN Nigeria as the ‘Telco Partner of the Year’ at the just concluded 2019 Electronic Payments Incentive Scheme (EPIS) Efficiency Awards.

Organized by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), in collaboration with the CBN, the annual EPIS was designed to recognise, incentivise, reward and encourage high-performing stakeholders in Nigeria’s payment space, with the objective of driving innovation as well as improving performance and efficiency across the value chain.

At the 2019 event which was held on Friday, March 22, 2019 at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel, the ‘Telco Partner of the Year’ award was presented to MTN Nigeria by the Deputy Governor, CBN, Adebisi Shonubi, in appreciation of the ICT company’s outstanding contribution towards the development of innovative payment channels in 2018.

Commenting on the award, General Manager, Mobile Financial Services, MTN Nigeria, Usoro Usoro, said the company was pleased to have been recognised by the apex bank for its immense contributions to government’s cashless policy. According to Usoro, “As a technology company and partner in the development of Nigeria’s economy, MTN will relentlessly continue to innovate and proffer solutions to help the CBN simplify the country’s payment system, reach the unbanked and underbanked, and enable Nigerians to access a better quality of life.”

This award marks the second consecutive year the ICT company will be recognised by the CBN as ‘Telco Partner of the Year,’ adding to the increasing number of accolades received by the telecommunications giant in recent times. In October 2018, it will be recalled that the company was named the Telecommunications Company of the Year and received four other laurels including – Social Impact Award, Digital Transformation Award, Customer Experience Award and Telcom CEO of the Year awards at the 2018 Nigerian Tech Innovation and Telecom Awards (NTITA) awards.