MTN Group has said it will make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for its staff across its operations from January 2022.
In a statement on Monday, Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer, stated that the implementation of the vaccine mandate is to ensure that their workplaces are guided by the highest standards of health and safety.
“The science is clear. Vaccination against COVID-19 reduces rates of serious infections, hospitalisation, and death. As an employer, we have a responsibility to ensure that our workplaces are guided by the highest standards of health and safety, and that has informed our decision to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for our staff.”
“Our new COVID-19 policy recognises that some of our markets don’t have adequate access to vaccines. It also recognises some low-risk roles that will be accommodated with full-time work-from-home or alternate arrangements, but this will be a small population within our workforce,” he added.
Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has also supported the mandatory vaccination policy for staff from January 2022.
“The new policy further demonstrates our steadfast dedication to keeping our people and the communities we work and live in safe and healthy. While there may still be some unknowns related to this pandemic, the science is clear – vaccines effectively prevent severe illness, hospitalisation and death. It is time for everyone who can, to get vaccinated to limit the spread of the virus and prevent further strains from developing,” Toriola said.
MTN Nigeria, alongside the MTN Group, has joined its voice to growing calls for global leaders to accelerate vaccine equity and lift travel bans imposed on African countries.
“The events of the past 20 months have underlined how connected and interdependent we all are. Such travel restrictions have proven to be counterproductive, hampering research, aid and economic activity without any significant impact on the spread of new variants.
“If the past is prologue, then the only way through this is together, and it is time to set side geographical divisions and heed calls for greater vaccine equity. If Africa had access to vaccines at the same time as the rest of the world, then we might not face the challenge that these new variants represent.” Toriola added.
