Telecom
2012: Alcatel-Lucent Reels Success Story, Activities

Alcatel-Lucent has a very strong presence in Africa, connected to its global organization, leveraging central support and ensuring best practices, the company has dedicated teams with local knowledge and global expertise on the ground in most of Africa’s countries , specialized in a wide array of technologies for both fixed and mobile communications including and not limited to 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, Optics and IP, broadband access, VoIP, applications, managed and professional services as well as Enterprise solutions that deliver a competitive edge to businesses of all sizes.
These experts are working with customers, operators, governments, businesses and partners which form an efficient ecosystem to develop and introduce new technologies and solutions, to ensure growth and capture business opportunities – with the ultimate goal to bring Broadband to the people in Africa.
Alcatel-Lucent’s strong presence in African countries is a real asset for operators. Our company is ready to engage anywhere in Africa with the accurate expertise and at any level.
Alcatel-Lucent is present in most of the African continent, including but not limited to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe…..
The company brings an unmatched heritage of ideas and execution to the challenge of realizing the potential of a connected world.
In term of Research & Innovation, the innovation engine behind Alcatel-Lucent is its Bell Labs, the company’s research arm, one of the world’s foremost centers of research and innovation in communication technology.
Alcatel-Lucent has more than 29,100 active patents, in which more than 2,600 have been obtained in 2011, and seven Nobel Prizes in Physics (shared by 13 scientists).
Alcatel-Lucent was named one of MIT Technology Review’s 2012 Top 50 list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” for breakthroughs such as lightRadio™, which cuts power consumption and operating costs on wireless networks while delivering lightning fast Internet access.
Through such innovations, Alcatel-Lucent is making communications more sustainable, more affordable and more accessible as we pursue our mission – to guarantee our partners return on investment, while mastering network complexity and providing good customer experience.
Enabling International and Pan-African connectivity- Alcatel-Lucent is involved in most of the major submarine projects recently launched
Leveraging over 150 years of experience in the submarine business, Alcatel-Lucent is strongly involved of the telecom infrastructure development in this part of the world, with many successful projects implemented around Africa.
The African continent is definitely still yearning for affordable connectivity, as it is essential for social and economic development.
The need for more connections is particularly vibrant in high-growth economy countries, where submarine cable networks can help bridge the digital divide and fuel economic and social development. International bandwidth in sub-Sahara countries has dramatically increased by 2012.
This massive bandwidth has landed in West African and East African coasts thanks to EASSy, SEAS, GLO1, LION, MENA (Orascom Telecom), TE North (Telecom Egypt), ACE, TEAMS, Seacom, WACS and a few other submarine networks; as a result, the cost of International connectivity is reducing considerably; and the continent will witness explosive growth for mobile, fixed and broadband traffic at competitive rates.
Alcatel-Lucent is involved in most of the submarine systems in Africa: a 17,000 km from Cape Town in SA to Penmarch in France , linking 20 countries (Europe-Africa) and bringing connectivity to Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, and Equatorial Guinea and Sea-Me-We 4 a 20,000 km, linking 14 countries from France to Singapore
It is also involved in SAT-3/WASC system – linking Portugal to South Africa with branches to Spain, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola and SAT-3/WASC reliant le Portugal à l’Afrique du Sud, avec des embranchements en Espagne, au Sénégal, en Côte d’Ivoire, au Ghana, en République du Bénin, au Nigeria, au Cameroun, au Gabon et en Angola as well as EASSy, 10,000 km submarine network linking eight countries from East Africa and Sudan to South Africa.
Others are Kenya-United Arab Emirates cable for the East Africa Marine System (TEAMS) consortium – spanning 4,900 km to connect Mombassa in Kenya to Fujairah in the UAE; WACS – 14,000 km submarine network connecting South Africa to Europe. In service in 2012; and système sous-marin de 14 000 Km reliant l’Afrique du Sud et l’Europe. Mise en service en 2012.
Additionally it is participating in LION, connecting Toamasina in Madagascar to SainteMarie in La Réunion and Terre Rouge in Mauritius via a link of approximately 1000 km; SEAS 1900km linking Seychelles and Tanzania; GLO1: 9,800Km connected Ghana to West Africa and Europe; Middle East North Africa (MENA) 3 850 Km cable for Orascom Telecom, positioning Egypt as a central hub for traffic transit between Europe, the Middle East and Asia; and TE North system for Telecom Egypt – 3,100 km, it started with ultimate capacity of 128 x 10 on each of its eight fiber pairs, which makes it one of the largest cable systems in the region. Now in service using 40G technology as well as Atlas Offshore for Maroc Telecom – linking the cities of Asilah in Morocco to Marseille in France, over more than 1,630 km. It directly interconnects Maroc Telecom with the various European operators.
Customers’ Experience -Trusted Partner
Alcatel-Lucent to bring faster, higher-quality broadband to Africa: In Africa, Alcatel-Lucent is focused on three major segments; infrastructure, applications and services; all three are critical to its long-term commitment to its Customers.
In terms of revenues, investment and local presence, Alcatel-Lucent has a major role in building and transforming Africa’s telecommunications networks for many world-class fixed and mobile operators in Africa, including but not limited to Airtel, Kenya Data Networks (KDN), Uganda Telecom, Orange, Etisalat Nigeria, Globacom (Nigeria and Ghana), MTN, Unitel Angola, Mcel Mozambique, TDM Mozambique, Vodacom, Telkom South Africa, Smile, Togo Cellulaire ,Tigo Millicom Ghana, Telesis Tanzania, Algerie Telecom, Maroc Telecom, Inwi Morocco, Tunisiana, Orascom Telecom along with many other international key players, regional and local service providers. Additionally, Alcatel-Lucent is also present in the Oil and Gas sector and with various governments – bringing advanced, affordable and convenient services to its customers across the region.
Telecom
MoMo PSB, SMEDAN Forge Pact to Digitise Nigeria’s SMEs

MoMo PSB, MTN Nigeria’s fintech powerhouse, sealed a game-changing pact with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) on February 3 at its Victoria Island headquarters, unleashing digital and financial tools to turbocharge SMEs nationwide for seamless operations, revenue surges, and sustainable scaling.

MoMo PSB, SMEDAN
The partnership arms SMEDAN-registered merchants with MoMo’s multi-channel arsenal—apps, POS, USSD, partner portals, and custom platforms—to hoover payments across streams, automate payrolls, juggle tills and shop chains, and boss core business metrics from one slick dashboard.
This powerhouse duo targets Nigeria’s SME engine room, where digital chokepoints throttle growth, injecting MTN’s MoMo muscle to slash friction and unlock efficiencies for mama-put hustles to mid-tier factories alike.
Industry watchers hail the MoU as a masterstroke in President Tinubu’s economic revival playbook, fusing government SME scaffolding with private-sector fintech firepower to birth a new breed of digitally dominant entrepreneurs primed for AfCFTA conquests.
Telecom
MTN Ignites Teacher Revolution: 5,000 Digitally Armed for Phase Two

MTN Foundation and SAIL Innovation Lab have roared into Phase Two of their blockbuster Teachers Fellowship Programme, onboarding 5,000 elite educators from Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT since January 13 to turbocharge public schools with cutting-edge digital wizardry and global teaching firepower.

MTN
This mobile-first crusade, laser-focused on arming primary and secondary school titans for the digital economy showdown, kicks off with a grueling four-week virtual bootcamp via WhatsApp and Google Classroom—slashing travel barriers for even the remotest rural warriors.
Organisers promise peer-to-peer fireworks and real-time gut-checks, capping Stage One with a virtual gala saluting milestones before culling the pack to a fierce “Top 500” via engagement, assessments, and hustle for Phase Two’s inquiry-based mastery and deep-dive digital metamorphosis.
MTN Foundation’s Executive Director Odunayo Sanya lit the fuse: “Teachers are the backbone of our education system. By empowering them with digital competencies and innovative teaching methods, we are directly investing in the future of our youth.
This Fellowship Programme is designed to ensure that our educators are not just keeping pace with global best practices but are actively shaping the next generation of innovators and leaders.”
Nigeria’s heftiest private teacher uprising scales from last year’s triumphs, minting classroom commandos as state ambassadors to ignite inquiry-driven, tech-fueled learning revolutions coast-to-coast.
Telecom
Onafriq, PAPSS Launch Wallet-Based Payments Pilot from Nigeria to Ghana

Onafriq Nigeria Payments Ltd, a CBN licenced payment service provider, partners with The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to pilot the continent’s first wallet-based outbound payments from Nigeria to Ghana – fully in Naira and instant, without relying on hard currency conversion, in partnership with Banks and Mobile Money Operators.

The pilot service, approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), enables cross-border intra-Africa payments for individuals, merchants, and traders.
In particular, the service will benefit SMEs, the real engine of intra-African trade; all now have access to a faster, cheaper way to reach customers and suppliers across the border.
By reducing barriers to cross-border trade, the new service will allow these businesses to grow their addressable markets and activity. From the 1st of December, this service will be fully operational for a 6-month period.
Through the partnership with PAPSS, Onafriq is supporting the operationalization of the AfCFTA (Africa Continental Free Trade Area) mandate.
The mandate itself is driving tariff-free trade for the 54 member states of AfCFTA. Within the partnership itself, Onafriq provides the mobile money rails, with an ecosystem consisting of over 1 billion mobile wallets.
Meanwhile, PAPSS brings a network of over 160 commercial banks, representing an ecosystem of more than 400 million bank accounts across its 19 African countries of operation.
The two partners are essentially seamlessly connecting two worlds: mobile money and banking. As a consequence, intra-African trade transactions will take place more easily and opportunities will be created.
Currently, Africa is made up of bank and mobile-led markets, with siloes often inhibiting transactions between these economies. However, this partnership will remove these boundaries. With over one billion mobile wallets and 500 million bank wallets across Africa, this partnership will allow for cross-border collaboration at scale.
This partnership builds on Onafriq and PAPSS’ existing partnership for payments into Ghana, announced earlier this year.
Mxolisi Msutwana, Managing Director Anglophone West Africa said, “Our work with PAPSS shows what collaboration at scale can unlock—seamless, secure connections between banking systems and mobile money ecosystems.
“This is how we open bi-directional trade corridors, reduce costs for businesses, and give African enterprises the rails they need to trade with confidence in their own currencies. The vision is continental, but it starts with practical steps like this one.”
Ositadimma Ugwu, Chief Information Officer, PAPSS, added “Too often, African businesses and individuals see borders as roadblocks instead of opportunities. With this step, we’re challenging that mindset, giving Nigerians the ability to send value next door with the same ease as sending a text message.
“Our vision is simple: make Africa’s borders invisible to payments. This pilot makes that a reality, moving us closer to a continent where payments don’t pause at the border.”
This new Nigeria-to-Ghana outbound capability builds on the successful Ghana-to-Nigeria instant payments corridor launched earlier this year – further proof that Africa’s payments future is local, instant, and inclusive.
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