National in scope, with the ordinary Nigerian in focus

The MTN Foundation is a stellar example of MTN Nigeria's commitment to contribute to the sustainable development of our nation. The birth of the Foundation has been an exciting journey, not just for us in MTN but within the Nigerian socio-economic and political landscape.

Like never before, the world and the rest of Africa is looking to Nigeria, the ‘giant of Africa' to prove itself. While we may have a lot of political goodwill, it is very sobering that economically, we have more poor people today, than ever before in our history.

The MTN Foundation therefore seeks to respond to issues of national significance, which affect the ordinary Nigerian on a daily basis. We partner with international and local organizations to deploy programmes that are sustainable in our key focus areas. The Foundation is funded by an annual grant from MTN Nigeria, at a level determined by the Board of MTN Nigeria. Presently the Board has
approved that 1% of its profit after tax goes to funding projects in the Foundation.

The good news for me here is that unlike many Foundations in which a big portion of the budget is spent on covering the institutions' overheads, almost our entire budget is going to fund projects. Most of the overheads associated with the Foundation are covered by MTN – outside of the Foundation's funding. This means that we are in a truly unique position to give back sustainably.

One of the key principles guiding our activities is ensuring that our programs align with National social development priorities such as NEEDS, the Global sustainable business development agenda such as NEPAD and the
International Millennium Goals.

I am personally excited to be part of an organization that is ‘walking the talk' of corporate social responsibility. I believe that with our partners, we will be able to ‘connect the unconnected' and improve the quality of life of Nigerians.

Amina Oyagbola