Telecom
Etisalat Woes Deepens over $1.2Bn Debt
The fate of Etisalat Nigeria, the fourth largest telecommunications network operating in the country, hangs in the balance as the telecom giant battles to pay its creditors, according to the Nation.
Etisalat Nigeria had in 2013 obtained a seven-year loan facility of $1.2billion from 13 local banks and their foreign counterparts to refinance a $650 million loan as well as the expansion of its network but the company had missed the payment due to dollar shortfall in Nigeria’s financial system.
The loan, which involved a foreign-backed guaranty bond, was for Etisalat to finance a major network rehabilitation and expansion of its operational base in Nigeria.
The 13 local banks involved in the loan deal include: Zenith Bank, GT Bank, First Bank, UBA, Fidelity Bank, Access Bank, Ecobank, FCMB, Stanbic IBTC Bank, and Union Bank.
According to the Nation, Abu Dhabi state investment fund Mubadala, the second-largest shareholder in the business, had in April presented a final restructuring plan to the banks which they flatly rejected. The banks further gave a one month window for repayment which lapsed in May 31st, 2017.
The telecoms company unable to redeem its payment, the banks have since issued Etisalat a default notice.
This is just as The Nation learnt at the weekend that Etisalat Nigeria is working with its lenders and Abu Dhabi state investment fund Mubadala, the second-largest shareholder in the business, to resolve debt woes it said were caused by a devaluation of the naira currency.
Mubadala spokesman Brian Lott told Reuters on Friday that a local media report saying that the fund has pulled out of Etisalat Nigeria was wrong and that several proposals are under discussion.
He declined to elaborate on the options being considered but said he will know more next week.
The Nigerian affiliate of Abu Dhabi-listed Etisalat has said it is in talks to restructure a $1.2 billion loan after missing a repayment, though sources have said that talks reached a deadlock on April 28.
In a statement by Ibrahim Dikko, Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, the company described as spurious news report that Mubadala Development Company, the majority shareholder of the company is exiting the business.
In the statement which reads in part, Dikko said: “Whilst it is premature at this stage of the ongoing discussion to affirm that this is the conclusive option, Etisalat Nigeria considers it pertinent to state that parties in the negotiation are considering a number of options and discussions are at an advanced stage regarding the syndicated loan agreement with the banks. It will therefore be presumptive and in bad faith to begin to predict the outcome.”
Etisalat Nigeria, he stressed, “Can confirm that negotiations with the consortium of banks regarding the syndicated loan agreement signed in 2013 have reached an advanced stage. As noted in an earlier statement, we are considering a number of options and are not taking anything off the table at this time.”
Etisalat, he further emphasised, “Remains a viable business, having recorded its best financial year in 2016. So parties are keen to ensure that the ongoing discussions and eventual outcome do not affect the day to day operations of the business whether now or after the announcement of our agreement. All parties have continually demonstrated an interest in the continued operations of Etisalat as a business as it remains a backbone of millions of small business owners; multinationals, government and indeed Nigerian subscribers in general.”
However, it does appear that the apex bank and the regulatory agency in charge of the telecoms sector are not willing to stick their necks out for Etisalat again judging by their mute indifference to the lingering crisis involved the embattled telecom company and the banks.
When our correspondents broached the subject before the CBN spokesman, Isaac Okoroafor, Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the weekend, his rather terse response spoke volumes. “Call the Etisalat people please. We have nothing to say on that.”
His counterpart at the NCC, Tony Ojobo, informed our correspondent that he was going to get back soon but never did as at the time of filing in this report.
In the view of industry experts, the future of the telecoms sector looks bleak without Etisalat. One of those who share this sentiment is Mr. Olusola Teniola, National President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the umbrella body of telecoms companies.
Speaking with our correspondent at the weekend, Teniola said the issue of Etisalat leaving is a very complex question, as the insinuation describes a scenario whereby the subscribers on their network can be easily accommodated by other networks, which is not necessarily the case.
According to him: “No single network as currently configured and engineered can provide the requisite capacity to cater for any additional traffic burden a collapse of any single mobile network operator with over 20million subscribers will cause. It is more feasible that a more likely scenario of a merger or acquisition will occur in the form of an international player coming in to ensure continuity of Etisalat’ operations. This is more of a preferred scenario that should occur anything else will be disastrous for the consumers’ choice.”
Options before Etisalat, banks
Among the many options before Etisalat is to sellout its entire equity. The telco also ran into problem in Tanzania when the owners refused to put in more money. Specifically, United Arab Emirates telecom operator Etisalat had in 2015 sold its 85 percent stake in Zanzibar Telecom Limited (Zantel) to Sweden’s Millicom.
Zantel, which has struggled against larger rivals Vodacom and Bharti Airtel, got up to $32million in net current liabilities at close of the deal, Etisalat said in an emailed statement.
Etisalat received $1 in cash while Millicom assumed the total debt obligations of $74million under the terms of the agreement subject to regulatory approval by the Tanzanian Communication Regulatory Authority.
According to a source in one of the dealing banks who asked not to be named, one of the options the banks proposed to Etisalat management as a middle way out of the crisis was for it to request for a bankruptcy status.
The official, who requested that his name should not be revealed, since he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the consortium, said the bankruptcy option would require having receivership management appointed by the banks to oversee its operations.
The other option before Etisalat is to go into a merger with the existing telcos operating in the country. Already MTN had in the past signified interest to buy Etisalat but had to back pedal following its trouble with the NCC over unregistered sims.
However, reliable sources say Globalcom may also be interested in Etisalat buyout but the telecom giant is said to be keeping its plan under wraps.
One of the options before the banks is to approach the court and get the board dissolved and take the company into receivership. But the challenge however is that the banks can’t run the firm because they don’t have operating license neither do they have the technical knowhow to do so.
But, the NCC appears not to be favourably disposed to the takeover proposal, the source said, as it believed that Etisalat is not only a viable going concern but also willing and able to negotiate the servicing of its loans.
Etisalat has the option of running to NCC for help but informed sources say Etisalat has not been carrying them along. But the NCC sources say they are ready to protect the over 21million subscribers on the network.
Irvine Partners, the woman-led, African-born creative communications agency operating across Nigeria, has cemented its position as a disruptive force on the global stage following a landmark week of international industry recognition for its CEO and founder, Rachel Irvine.
Rachel-Irvine-CEO-Irvine-Partners
Irvine has been named to Campaign UK’s prestigious 40 over 40 list for 2026, while simultaneously earning a place on PRovoke Media’s Innovator 25 EMEA index – two of the communications industry’s most closely watched honours, secured in the same week. The achievement places her among the most influential and progressive communications leaders across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
For Nigeria – Africa’s largest economy and one of its most competitive and complex communications environments – the recognition speaks directly to something the local industry has long understood: that the strategic thinking, cultural intelligence and executional precision forged in African markets is not a regional advantage. It is a global one.
Irvine Partners brings this philosophy to some of the world’s most prominent digital and consumer brands in the Nigerian market, including TikTok, Spotify, Uber and Google – organisations that demand communications work of the highest international calibre, delivered with genuine local understanding.
An African agency rewriting the global narrative
Campaign UK’s 40 over 40 celebrates individual excellence, leadership and lasting impact within the British media and marketing landscape. PRovoke Media’s Innovator 25 spotlights those who are dismantling traditional PR structures, advancing data-led practice, and reshaping how the industry operates. To earn both in a single week is rare by any measure.
What underpins both honours is a story that begins not in London but in Africa – in the dynamic, high-stakes communications environments of markets like Nigeria, where agencies must be sharper, faster and more culturally precise than anywhere else in the world.
“These accolades are less about my own journey and far more about where Irvine Partners is going as a collective,” says Rachel Irvine. “For a long time, the global communications industry treated African agencies as local executors of global strategies. What we’ve proven over the past few years is that the technical craft, cultural capital, and data frameworks built within our agency are not just scalable for the continent; they are world-class.”
Built on the same ethos that works in Lagos
The recognition follows the agency’s strong performance at the IN2 SABRE Awards EMEA, where Irvine Partners took major wins for Unicorn School – its proprietary internal talent development programme – and for its advanced data analytics capability, alongside notable shortlists for global clients including Spotify and Uber.
Nigeria’s communications market is one of the most demanding in the world. Consumer audiences are sophisticated and discerning. The media environment is layered, fast-moving and deeply attuned to authenticity. Brands that succeed here do not do so through generic messaging – they do so through precision, cultural credibility and strategic consistency. These are precisely the competencies that Irvine Partners has built its international reputation on.
“The PR landscape has fundamentally shifted,” Irvine adds. “Clients no longer want siloed regional strategies; they want intelligent, culturally intuitive storytelling backed by bulletproof analytics that move the business needle. We built our foundations on that exact ethos in highly dynamic markets, and bringing that specific DNA to the UK and EMEA regions is why we are winning.”
The agency’s agile, borderless model – deliberately structured to move at the speed of modern brands rather than the pace of legacy networks- is one that Nigerian communications professionals will recognise as a natural evolution of how the best African agencies have always operated: lean, sharp and built for impact.
Underlying both honours is Irvine’s sustained commitment to talent development and cultural diversity across all of the agency’s wholly owned offices – a principle as central to its Lagos work as to any other market in its growing global footprint.
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Chief Executive Officer, has announced a major leadership change at WhatsApp, confirming that Will Cathcart will step down as head of the messaging service after seven years in office.
Zuckerberg made the announcement in a post shared on Facebook on Monday, June 22, 2026, praising Cathcart’s contributions to the growth of the platform.
According to him, Cathcart played a key role in expanding WhatsApp’s global user base to over three billion people while promoting privacy-focused communication across its services.
“Will’s been one of Meta’s most important and effective leaders, helping to bring WhatsApp to over 3 billion people and championing privacy for our community,” Zuckerberg stated.
The Meta CEO also announced that Kunal Shal will take over leadership of WhatsApp.
He described Shal as a “builder” with strong international experience, adding that his leadership style aligns with Meta’s long-term vision for the messaging platform.
Meta said the transition is aimed at strengthening WhatsApp’s role in both personal and business communication globally, as the platform continues to expand its services across markets.
Industry observers say the leadership change marks a significant transition for WhatsApp, which has grown rapidly under Cathcart’s stewardship, particularly in areas of privacy, encryption, and enterprise messaging solutions.
However, Meta has not disclosed the exact timeline for the leadership handover or further structural changes within the messaging division.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining WhatsApp’s security standards and continued innovation under the new leadership.
MTN Nigeria has raised the bar for corporate disclosure in Africa after publishing its 2025 sustainability report in full compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards S1 and S2.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria,
The report, independently assured by Ernst & Young, marks the telecom operator’s seventh consecutive annual sustainability publication and third year as an early adopter of the global framework ahead of its mandatory implementation.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, said, “strong governance and ethical conduct are foundational to our sustainability strategy. We reinforced compliance through our Conduct Passport Framework and robust internal controls.”
He added that “in May 2025, we became the first telecommunications company in Nigeria to publicly present a sustainability report on the Nigerian Exchange Group platform, an important milestone in our commitment to IFRS S1 and S2- aligned disclosure and accountability.”
The company also secured Carbon Disclosure Project ratings of ‘B-’ for climate change and ‘C’ for water security.
Under the IFRS S2 framework, the telecoms operator disclosed climate-related risks linked to flooding, heat stress, regulatory changes and possible future taxes or charges on carbon emissions, following a climate scenario analysis completed in 2024.
The report also showed that MTN Nigeria now uses a digital reporting format – XBRL. This makes its sustainability and governance data easier for investors and ESG rating agencies to access and analyse through automated systems.
The Company also carried out assessments to understand how sustainability issues affect both its business operations and society at large, while measuring its overall economic, environmental and social impact from 2021 to 2024.
In addition, over one-third of MTN Nigeria’s biggest suppliers (based on spending) have committed to supporting the company’s net-zero emissions goals, although these commitments have not yet gone through an independent audit or verification process.
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