Effective from January 2022, MTN Group would be making vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for its staff across its operations.

The telco in a statement on Monday stated that the implementation of the vaccine mandate is part of commitment to protect the health and safety of people and workplaces, as well as contribute towards the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations across its markets.

“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,” said MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita.

“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 voiced support for the mandatory vaccination policy for staff from January 2022.

Toriola confirmed MTN Nigeria’s plan to implement the policy locally.

“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.

Both the World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control advocate for vaccines, stating that they are an important measure to protect people.

The global rollout of vaccinations since 2020 has clearly contributed to the containment and management of the virus in many countries.

MTN Nigeria, alongside the MTN Group, has added its voice to growing calls for global leaders to accelerate vaccine equity and lift unjust 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.

MTN Group’s new vaccine policy is a measure to meet MTN’s legal obligations in regard to providing a safe workplace and shall be subject to risk assessment and local laws that apply to the MTN Group and its operating companies and subsidiaries.

It also recognises the right of employees to apply to be exempted from the policy and/or refuse vaccination on certain clearly defined grounds.

For those staff who are not exempt from vaccinations either through risk assessment or agreed exclusions but still refuse vaccination, MTN will not be obliged to continue the employment contract.

The new mandatory vaccination policy follows the Group’s $25 million donation to the African Union’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.