MTN Nigeria has reopened its offices nationwide after shutting down on Tuesday, July 30.

The closure followed a wave of customer backlash and incidents of vandalism at MTN outlets, triggered by the barring of numerous SIM lines.

The telecom giant initially closed its offices in response to the public’s reaction, as announced in a notification posted on its X handle.

The situation arose after MTN disconnected millions of subscribers whose identities were not aligned with their National Identification Numbers (NIN), as mandated by regulatory directives.

In an update posted on Wednesday, July 31, MTN announced the reopening of its physical shops across the country.

The company stated that its service centres would operate from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, providing in-person customer support.

“Y’ello customer, please note that our shops nationwide will be open today, 31 July. Operating hours: 8:00 am-3:00 pm. We are also available 24/7 to support you via digital channels,” MTN stated on its X handle.

Airtel Nigeria has donated a total of two million naira to the Olayode family, presenting a cheque of five hundred thousand naira to each of the family’s newly-born quadruplets, who had gained significant social media attention earlier in July. The presentation was held at the Olayode residence in Lagos on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

This gesture follows the pledge by Airtel on its official X handle to join other well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the young couple whose four babies had arrived as a complete surprise, having gone undetected in several prenatal scans. Airtel’s post read: “When life gives quadruplets, we give #ovajara support! We’re adding N2m because great things come in multiples.”

Speaking on the donation, Carl Cruz, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, said, “This gesture underscores the dedication of Airtel Nigeria to enriching lives and bringing joy to the communities we serve, especially through our CSR.

“We understand the economic demand of raising same-age children concurrently in one family, and it is our hope that this donation will serve as a meaningful helping hand to the Olayode family, while also inspiring other individuals and organizations to offer support wherever it may be needed.”

He expressed the company’s delight in supporting the family as part of its longstanding commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and providing support to the vulnerable in the Nigerian society.

“This gesture underscores the dedication of Airtel Nigeria to enriching lives and bringing joy to the communities we serve, especially through our CSR. We understand the economic demand of raising same-age children concurrently in one family, and it is our hope that this donation will serve as a meaningful helping hand to the Olayode family, while also inspiring other individuals and organizations to offer support wherever it may be needed,” he added.

The birth of the Olayode quadruplets also encapsulates the spirit of the Airtel Ovajara campaign, which is based on the belief that life often exceeds expectations. “As a company, we are proud to demonstrate this understanding in both our services and our actions,” Mr. Cruz remarked.

Receiving the donation from Airtel on behalf of her husband, Sodiq, and the rest of the family, Mrs. Abiodun Olayode, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Airtel Nigeria for the support.

“I would like to appreciate Airtel Nigeria for this ovajara kindness. You have stood in for us in this memorable phase of our lives, and I can boldly say that this donation will definitely go a long way in raising our children,” she said.

Airtel Ovajara is an innovative voice bundle which multiplies the value of subscriber recharges by eight.

Airtel remains consistent to empowering and uplifting individuals and families in need across the communities it operates. The telco has demonstrated its commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of Nigerians through several individual initiatives and projects under its wide-ranging CSR programs, which includes Airtel Touching Lives, Employee Volunteer Scheme, Adopt A School, and its far-reaching Reimagine Education partnership with UNICEF.

EMTECH, award-winning software provider has announced a new software product called Beyond Compliance, to help Financial Service Providers (FSPs) automate and manage regulatory compliance in one place. Regulatory Compliance is an imperative for FSPs as the fines for non-compliance can run into the billions of dollars. Beyond Compliance helps users stay ahead of regulatory issues before they result in fines, loss of a license, bankruptcy or closures.

The ground-breaking Beyond Compliance product provides users with regulatory checklists and workflows to enable and guide them through compliance processes. By simply selecting their regulator or jurisdiction and providing a few details, users can standardize and automate compliance activities. EMTECH designed the compliance product to increase business efficiency and reduce labor costs while reducing fragmentation and manual processes.

As the incidences of fraud, digital identity theft and money laundering increase, a recent McKinsey & Company report,” The future of the payments industry: How managing risk can drive growth” notes that service providers should “modify their risk management programs to protect their revenue and improve regulatory compliance. This may include enhancements to issue management, due diligence processes, risk appetite setting, or risk identification processes.”

“If fintech is to grow more resilient and effective at protecting consumers today and in the future, we have to rethink how compliance will be managed compared to how it’s done today. With highly fragmented regulatory requirements, risk monitoring and reporting methods, a more integrated compliance management platform is an essential tool for survival and growth” noted Carmelle Cadet, CEO and Founder of EMTECH.

The Beyond Compliance product provides “a great user experience, it is a customizable solution. The product is detailed and very effective in ensuring compliance to regulatory directives”, says beta user Kwasi Ofei, Head of Compliance at Juni Payments.

“Regulatory compliance can be a complex task for FSPs. EMTECH’s Beyond Compliance is designed to help fintechs manage their compliance requirements, in one or more markets, monitor their compliance status and provide a level of regulatory visibility that is required by Central Bankers and regulators, “ said Steven Dickens, Chief Technology Advisor at The Futurum Group.