MTN Pays N80 billion of N330 Billion Fine to Nigerian Government.

The communication giant, MTN, has paid N80 billion of the N330 billion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian government for failing to deactivate more than five million unregistered SIM cards.

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, disclosed this at the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Forum in Abuja.

He said the payment was for this first year and is the first tranche of the total payment.

MTN, Nigeria’s largest mobile operator, was initially fined 5.2 billion dollars (N1.04 trillion) for failing to deactivate more than five million unregistered SIM cards.

The fine on the South Africa-owned company was later reduced to N330 billion.