MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecom operator, is setting itself apart as one of the most generous employers in the industry. Of its 1,809 employees, a staggering 1,514 earn at least ₦1 million monthly, a salary benchmark that its competitors—Globacom and 9mobile—struggle to match. Even the lowest-paid MTN employee takes home an average of ₦458,333 per month, which is 15 times Nigeria’s minimum wage.
Unlike other telcos, MTN conducts an annual salary review regardless of naira fluctuations, rather than tying pay increases to company performance. This policy led to a 59.5% increase in the company’s wage bill in 2024, surging from ₦42.7 billion to ₦71.7 billion. This approach helps retain top talent and attract skilled professionals in areas like engineering, network architecture, cybersecurity, and sales—fields that are crucial for the expansion of 5G, cloud services, and fiber-optic infrastructure.
In contrast, MTN’s competitors follow a more restrictive pay structure. Airtel Nigeria ties salary increments to performance, while Globacom’s pay raises are discretionary, reportedly at the chairman’s discretion. Globacom’s customer service employees earn as little as ₦147,000 per month, a stark contrast to MTN’s scale.
MTN’s salary policy is a strategic move to maintain market leadership, ensuring it retains the best talent, partners with top contractors, and manages cash flow effectively. While this model strengthens MTN’s competitive advantage, it remains to be seen if it will be sustainable in the long run.
Read the full news here: TechCabal