2000 Visafone workers fired as MTN completes acquisition

MTN Nigeria has completed its acquisition of Visafone with 83% of its workforce having reportedly been laid off.

According to Punch, over 2,000 Visafone workers had their contracts terminated on Tuesday January 5, and were paid three months; salaries as severance package.

One of the sacked workers told the publication, ''We learnt that the management would downsize, but we were told that that would be later in 2016. It is, however, surprising that they are sending majority of us away so early in the year. Though they paid three months’ severance benefits, but should it be this way? Some of us have put in five to 10 years of our lives in keeping the business going, but see what we are getting now. It is well.''

The deal was reportedly supposed to have been completed in 2015, but was slowed down by the N1.04 trillion fine slammed on MTN by the National Communications Commission.