MTN Group says it will enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all its employees from January 2022.

In a statement on Monday, MTN said the move is part of its efforts to protect the health and safety of staff.

It added that the policy would be subject to risk assessment and local laws that apply in its various operating companies and subsidiaries.

Speaking on the development, Ralph Mupita, MTN group president and CEO, said: “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.”

MTN said it recognised the right of employees to apply to be exempted from the policy 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 statement adds.

This implies that MTN will fire employees who refuse to get vaccinated without a valid reason.

TheCable had reported that MTN Nigeria is currently offering 14 percent of its shares to the Nigerian public.

Any Nigerian with a bank verification number (BVN) can buy MTN shares as low as N3,380.