Telecom
Equinix Acquires MainOne for $320m

Equinix Inc., the world’s digital infrastructure company™, today announced its expansion into Africa through its intended acquisition of MainOne, a leading West African data center and connectivity solutions provider, with presence in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
The acquisition is expected to close Q1 of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including the requisite regulatory approvals.
The transaction has an enterprise value of US $320M and is expected to be AFFO accretive upon close, excluding integration costs, marking the first step in Equinix’s long-term strategy to become a leading African carrier neutral digital infrastructure company.
With more than 200 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and, along with Ghana, has become an established data center hub. This makes the acquisition a pivotal entry point for Equinix into the continent.
Equinix believes MainOne to be one of the most exciting technology businesses to emerge from Africa. Founded by Funke Opeke in 2010, the company has enabled connectivity for the business community of Nigeria and now has digital infrastructure assets including three operational data centers, with an additional facility under construction expected to open in Q1 2022.
Upon closing, these facilities will add more than 64,000 gross square feet of space to Platform Equinix®, with 570,000 square feet of land for future expansions. MainOne owns and operates a subsea network from Nigeria to Portugal, as well as 1,200 kilometers of reliable terrestrial fiber network across southern Nigeria.
These are all improving connectivity to and from Europe, West African countries and the major business communities in Nigeria. When completed, this acquisition will extend Platform Equinix into West Africa, giving organizations based inside and outside of Africa access to one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
Charles Meyers, President and CEO, Equinix: “The acquisition of MainOne will represent a critical point of entry for Platform Equinix into the expansive and rapidly growing African market. MainOne’s leading interconnection position and experienced management team represent critical assets in our aspirations to be the leading neutral provider of digital infrastructure in Africa.
“Growth of data consumption in Africa is amongst the fastest in the world, and our customers are looking for a trusted partner to pursue the opportunities presented by broad mobile adoption and greater connectivity across the region.
“MainOne’s infrastructure, customer relationships, partner ecosystem and operating capability will extend the reach of Platform Equinix and bolster opportunities for customers in Africa and throughout the world.”
Under the terms of the transaction, the management team, including CEO Funke Opeke, will continue to serve in their respective roles. Opeke holds a master’s in engineering from Columbia University and was named one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes in 2018 for her efforts in sparking internet adoption. She was also recently named one of the Top 10 Women to Watch in the Data Center Industry by Data Centre Magazine.
Key Facts
– Under the terms of the agreement, Equinix intends to acquire MainOne and its assets with an all-cash transaction at an enterprise value of US$320M, which is expected to be AFFO accretive upon close, excluding integration costs. The transaction is expected to close Q1 of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including the requisite regulatory approvals.
MainOne’s assets include:
– Three operational data centers, with an additional facility under construction expected to open in Q1 2022. These facilities will add more than 64,000 gross square feet space to Platform Equinix, in addition to 570,000 square feet of land for future expansions.
– An extensive submarine network extending 7,000 kilometers from Portugal to Lagos, Accra and along the west African coast, with landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
– A terrestrial network of more than 1,200 kilometers of reliable terrestrial fiber in Lagos, Edo and Ogun States. Connectivity to terrestrial sites extends across 65 PoPs (points of presence) in cities across Portugal, Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
– Access to key internet exchanges enabling low latency to key global networks, including Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Google and Facebook.
– An estimated 800+ business-to-business customers, including major international technology enterprises, social media companies, global telecommunications operators, financial service companies and cloud service providers.
– Nearly 500 employees and a management team with a deep understanding of local and international markets.
– The facilities generate approximately US$60M annualized (Q2’21LQA) revenue with a purchase multiple of approximately 14x EBITDA.
– Globally, Platform Equinix is comprised of 237 data centers across 65 metros and 27 countries, providing data center and interconnection services for over 10,000 of the world’s leading businesses, including more than 50% of Fortune 500 companies.
John Dinsdale, Chief Analyst & Research Director, Synergy Research Group: “Africa has been the missing piece in the Equinix jigsaw, and this acquisition of MainOne will be a great first step onto the continent. The demand for data center services in Africa is strong, with Nigeria at the epicenter of exponential economic growth in West Africa.
“Nigeria is Africa’s largest country by both population and economy, and its growth drivers include rapid mobile adoption, increased data consumption from its young population, good subsea and terrestrial connectivity, and a strong enterprise market.
“This is advancing the region toward a more digitalized economy and driving data center growth and expansion to provide much-needed digital infrastructure.”
Funke Opeke, Founder and CEO, MainOne: “Equinix will accelerate our long-term vision to grow digital infrastructure investments across Africa. I thank our founding shareholders led by Mr. Fola Adeola, MainStreet Technologies, AFC, PAIDF, FBN, Polaris and AfDB for investing in the MainOne vision to bridge the Digital Divide in Africa.
“With similar values and culture to what we have jointly built in twelve years, Equinix is the preferred partner for our growth journey. The MainOne team is excited about the partnership created through the acquisition, and we look forward to building our next chapter together.”
Eugene Bergen, President, EMEA, Equinix: “Expansion in Africa has long been a strategic priority for us. With MainOne, we have found a company that not only has highly complementary data center and connectivity assets, but can further accelerate the expansion of our business model and growth objectives.
“CEO Funke Opeke and her team have built a powerful and dynamic infrastructure that will enable international customers access to the continent and African organizations access to the global Equinix platform. Customers can take full advantage of Equinix’s leading global interconnection services to connect with customers and partners, participate in rich digital ecosystems and expand their business across Africa and around the world.”
Telecom
T2 Commits to Innovation, Resilience as Customer-centric Ethos Form New Focus

The rebranding of 9mobile to T2 is a key milestone within the company’s comprehensive four-phase recovery roadmap—Stabilisation, Modernisation, Transformation, and Growth—launched following the landmark 2023 acquisition of 9mobile by Lighthouse Telecoms, led by business leader and investor, Mr. Thomas Etuh.
Since the takeover, the company has made sweeping changes, including the constitution of a revitalized board, appointment of new executive leadership, and execution of a strategic infrastructure-sharing agreement with MTN Nigeria. This agreement, the first of its kind at scale in the country, has already led to the company significantly expanding its network coverage, capacity, and resilience nationwide.
Now entering the “Transformation” phase, the brand is embracing a new name, T2, and a new ambition: to lead in innovation, customer experience, and digital lifestyle enablement. The T2 identity reflects a forward-thinking, technology-driven, and customer-centric ethos designed to resonate with Nigeria’s increasingly digital and mobile-first population.
“This is not just a logo change, it’s a total evolution of who we are, why we exist, and how we deliver value,” said Obafemi Banigbe, Chief Executive Officer of 9mobile. “T2 represents our next chapter. It is a symbol of our renewed commitment to innovation, resilience, and a deepened focus on customer experience. We are building a brand that is ready to thrive in the digital economy.”
Thomas Etuh, Chairman, Emerging Markets Telecommunications Ltd, echoed similar sentiments, describing the occasion as one that is significant in many respects for the 9mobile brand, as it represents the start of a new phase of life, a fresh start, rebirth, change or transformation, growth, reawakening, and a new order.
“Today marks a new beginning for the 9mobile business. The march has been tedious. The journey has been exhausting. It was faith and love for country that prompted my foray into the acquisition of the 9mobile business. I knew it was a tough call,” Etuh said, and thanked stakeholders like the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and 9mobile customers for standing by the brand through all its trials and challenges, including multiple litigations.
“To our amazing customers, please accept my profound gratitude for believing in us. I know our challenges have impacted you in one way or the other. But there is a resilient spirit we share with you. We are rising together again. Together, with you, we are reclaiming all lost grounds,” Etuh said.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, commended T2 for its bold move and vision to invest in the Nigerian economy and counselled that the rebranding should go beyond a change of name.
“My message to T2 (formerly 9mobile) is simple – let this rebrand be more than a change of colours or new logo, but let it be a renewed commitment to innovation, to service excellence and to the millions of Nigerians whose lives and businesses depend on your network every single day. Our government will continue to work with ecosystem players like T2 who are bold enough to invest, agile enough to adapt and visionary enough to see that the future belongs to those who embrace change before it’s forced upon them,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, affirmed the alignment between T2’s mission and the state’s digital goals.
“T2 has come at the right time. Its focus on digital innovation aligns seamlessly with the Lagos State Government’s vision for a robust digital economy that empowers citizens, businesses, and communities. We welcome partners like T2 who are committed to driving inclusive and transformative growth in our state,” she said.
The transition will be rolled out in deliberate phases, ensuring continuity and seamless service for existing customers while gradually introducing the market to the T2 narrative. At its core, T2 will focus on four key pillars: Speed, Smart Living, Digital Lifestyle, and Trust.
With customer expectations evolving rapidly and technology redefining the rules of engagement, the T2 brand aims to serve as a bridge between connectivity and culture, telecommunications and lifestyle, infrastructure and impact.
As the Nigerian telecoms sector moves into a new decade of transformation, T2 is poised to not just participate, but to lead.
Telecom
I see Crisis, Resignations @ MTN, Airtel, Others – Primate Ayodele

Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has released fresh prophecies regarding Nigeria’s telecommunication companies, including MTN, Airtel, and the newly reformed T2, formerly known as 9mobile.

Primate Elijah Ayodele
In a statement signed by Osho Oluwatosin, media aide to Primate Ayodele made it known that MTN will have challenges and run into a shortage.
He stated that he sees resignations from top officials in the company while warning of a potential network crisis that will affect the company negatively.
“MTN: They will have challenges that will disorganize them and make them run into a shortage. They will want to carry out expansion, but some of their major cables will be damaged, and I see some of their officials resigning due to unexpected things that will be happening. MTN needs to be careful not to see situations of customers leaving the company. They will have serious network issues in September that people will be complaining about bitterly.”
For Airtel, Primate Ayodele warned the company to be careful of the board crisis, while revealing that they will face marketing issues at the grassroots level.
“Airtel: they must be careful so there won’t be any board crisis. They will want to step up in many ways, but there will be problems in the grassroots. The company’s marketing will have lots of issues in communicating to people at the grassroots level. Airtel will also have terrible network problems in November.”
For T2, Primate Ayodele stated that the company will start on a good ground, but they will not be able to achieve what was set out to be achieved.
He urged the company to look into some issues spiritually as he foresees a struggle to meet up with other telecommunication companies.
“T2: The company will start on a good footing, but there will be a lot of things they will want to do but will face problems. The crisis of the company isn’t yet over, it will be up and down, and the organization will struggle to surpass other telecommunication company. The new devices the company will introduce will still have problems, it’s an issue to be looked to spiritually. The company is ready to improve, but attaining improvement will create problems.”
Furthermore, the cleric stated that there will be more telecommunication companies in the country, stating that there will be a form of recapitalization and a new procedure that will disqualify some of the telcos.
“Generally, there will be more telecommunication companies that will come to challenge the existing ones. I am seeing the government introducing new codes and a form of recapitalization that will disqualify some companies. I am seeing a telecommunication procedure that will also disqualify some telcom companies.”
Telecom
MTN Nigeria’s Mega Billion Promo Turns Airtime into Fortune for Thousands Amid Economic Strain

MTN Nigeria is offering a refreshing dose of optimism through its Mega Billion Promo—a nationwide campaign designed to reward customer loyalty with real cash prizes.
Launched on June 23, the 90-day promo aims to create 195 millionaires and distribute over ₦1 billion in cash via MTN’s MoMo Payment Service Bank.
So far, more than 1,500 subscribers have won a combined ₦290 million, including three jackpot winners and 20 recipients of ₦5 million each.
“In the last couple of years, it’s been a very tough time for Nigerians,” said Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer.
“This Mega Billion promo is one of the ways we’re showing appreciation and making life better for our customers.”
MTN subscribers aged 18 and above can participate by dialing *900#, using the MyMTN app, or texting ‘MEGA’ to 900.
Every ₦100 recharge earns one point toward daily and Saturday draws. Recharges can be made via bank apps, VTU, MoMo, or USSD channels.
Prizes range from ₦25,000 to ₦5 million on weekdays, with a ₦10 million top prize available during Saturday’s Mega Draw.
Customers can win multiple times, and all winnings are paid directly into the winner’s MoMo wallet, which can be activated by dialing *671#.
Independent partners manage the promo to ensure transparency and fairness. Daily draws are broadcast live on MTN’s Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube pages, and winners are contacted directly via the MTN Call Center on 300.
MTN describes the initiative as part of its ongoing effort to appreciate customers and strengthen relationships.
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