|
The
Nigerian president made the comment at a joint news conference
with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma at the start of a
two-day visit by Zuma.
The South African company has so far paid $250 million after
dropping a legal case against the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC).
"MTN had withdrawn their case from the court and decided to go
back and renegotiate the fine, which they consider very stiff,
with NCC to find ways the fine can be reduced and given time to
pay gradually," Buhari told reporters in the capital, Abuja.
Buhari did not say when talks began and Zuma did not comment on
the situation. MTN spokesman Chris Maroleng declined to comment.
The MTN fine is the most recent sign of tension between the two
countries that vie for economic and political dominance in
Africa. Zuma's visit points to an attempt to improve diplomatic
ties, which have been strained in the last few years.
Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, is going through its
worst economic crisis in years because of the drop in global
crude prices, and its central bank has restricted access to
dollars in a bid to defend its currency, the naira.
A number of South African companies have said they will exit
Nigeria, citing this economic backdrop.
(Reporting by Felix Onuha; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing
by Mark Trevelyan)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
|
