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Telecom

9mobile: Airtel Pulls Out of Bid as Glo, Helios Fail to Name Price

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Airtel Nigeria did not submit a final bid for 9mobile despite being on the shortlist of five, according to TheCable.

 

Also, although Globacom and Helios Investment Partners LLP submitted bids, they did not make any financial offer for the troubled telco.

 

TheCable reported that Teleology Holdings Limited submitted a bid in excess of $500 million while Smile Telecoms Holdings quoted close to $300 million.

 

Effectively, only two companies made financial offers by the January 16 deadline.

 

Airtel’s U-turn came as a surprise to industry experts who had expected the company to push all the way through in order to become the largest operator in the country.

 

It would automatically have grown from being number three to number one by increasing its numbers to 52 million for voice and 33.5 million for internet if it emerged the preferred bidder.

 

‘HIDDEN THINGS’

TheCable learnt that Airtel decided to pull out because “many things are not too plain with the entire process”.

 

“Airtel believes too many things are hidden about the health of 9mobile, and that it is too risky for anyone to buy the company. Things became compounded with the court case by Spectrum Wireless. Remember  the Strive Masiyiwa case over the ownership of Econet which hurt the company for a long time,” an insider in the deal told TheCable.

 

Spectrum Wireless, a shareholder of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Service (EMTS) — which owns the 9mobile licence — went to court against United Capital Trustees Limited — representatives of the debtors — in order to stop the constitution of an interim board for 9mobile after the take-over in July 2017.

 

Although it lost the case then, the federal high court later nullified the ex parte order, and United Securities has now gone on appeal.

 

Airtel, which started out as Econet Wireless in 2001, went through a litany of boardroom crises as a result of litigation by Masiyiwa.

 

DEBT OVERHANG

 

In July 2017, 9mobile, then known as Etisalat Nigeria, was taken over by banks following a N541 billion debt overhang.

 

Mubadala Group, the major investor from the United Arab Emirates, pulled out of Nigeria’s fourth largest mobile operator as a result of the debt owed to a consortium of 13 banks.

 

The telco was then put on sale, with Barclays Africa acting as transaction advisers.

 

The shortlisted companies are: Teleology Holdings Limited, promoted by Adrian Wood, the pioneer CEO of MTN Nigeria; Smile Telecoms Holdings, a telco operating in Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo DR and South Africa; and Helios Investment Partners LLP, an investment company.

 

Others are Bharti Airtel, an Indian telco that owns Airtel Nigeria, and Globacom, the Nigerian company owned by Mike Adenuga Jnr.

 

The telecom regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is expected to play a key role in the final decision of the interim board.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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Telecom

Telcos Warns of Nationwide Telecom Blackout over Diesel Shortage

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Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON
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Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

Telcos Warns of Nationwide Telecom Blackout over Diesel Shortage

Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.

“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.

He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.

According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.

ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.

The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.

ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.

 

 

 


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Nigerians Spend N5.3 Trillion on Telecom Services

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In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.

Nigerians Spend N5.3 Trillion on Telecom Services

Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.

However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.

For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.

Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023

Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs

Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network

 

 

 


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MTN Chairman, Industry Leaders Honour Late Dr. Pascal Dozie’s Legacy at NGX Tribute

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Nigeria’s corporate elite gathered recently to bid farewell to one of the nation’s most influential business titans, Dr. Pascal Gabriel Dozie.

The Nigerian Exchange Group’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos, played host to an ‘Afternoon of Tributes’ that saw industry captains, financial moguls, and family members celebrate the extraordinary legacy of a man who helped reshape Nigeria’s economic landscape.

MTN Nigeria Chairman, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, captured the mood of the gathering when he described the late Dozie as “a visionary leader, a true patriot, and a trailblazer” whose impact continues to reverberate across Nigeria’s business terrain.

“Thanks to his remarkable foresight and unwavering dedication, MTN Nigeria didn’t just find its footing—it soared,” Ndukwe told the distinguished audience.

“Today, it stands not only as the largest telecommunications company in the country but also as one of the most highly valued corporations on the NGX Premium Board.”

The symbolic bell-ringing ceremony—a highlight of the event—paid homage to Dozie’s pivotal role in transforming both Nigeria’s capital market and telecommunications sector.

Speaker after speaker painted the portrait of a man whose influence transcended conventional boundaries. Beyond founding Diamond Bank and steering MTN Nigeria to unprecedented heights, Dozie was celebrated for embodying the rare combination of business acumen and ethical leadership.

Throughout the afternoon, the late business icon was remembered not merely as a successful entrepreneur but as a nation-builder whose contributions spanned critical sectors from banking and telecoms to public policy and education.

More than his corporate achievements, however, it was Dozie’s personal qualities that dominated tributes—his uncompromising integrity, innovative thinking, disarming humility, and lifelong commitment to service.

As the event concluded, it became clear that the gathering was more than a memorial—it was a celebration of possibilities, a testament to what can be achieved when purpose meets passion and when leadership is firmly rooted in service to others.


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