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MTN to Exit Some African Countries, Gives Reasons

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MTN, telecommunications giant,  is contemplating its departure from Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, and Liberia.

MTN to Exit Some African Countries, Gives Reasons

This is in a bid to address mounting challenges across the West and Central Africa region.,

The decision, which aligns with MTN’s “Ambition 2025” strategy, comes due to issues highlighted by Ralph Mupita, CEO, MTN including inflation and currency devaluation.

MTN’s presence in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry, where it owns around 30% of the market share, has been slowed by financial struggles.

A breach of loan covenant in Guinea-Bissau, stemming from negative EBITDA performance, resulted in a reported loss of R1.69 billion ($89,392,809).

Consequently, MTN is considering divesting its interests in these countries to focus on stronger markets like Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire.

To facilitate this transition, MTN finalized a share purchase agreement with Telecel, an established telecommunications provider, to acquire its ownership interests in MTN Guinea-Bissau and MTN Guinea-Conakry.

While the value of the sale remains undisclosed, MTN emphasizes its focus on ensuring a smooth transition for customers, employees, and stakeholders.

Telecel’s involvement is expected to drive growth and technological advancement in these regions, contributing to overall economic progress.

MTN’s operational challenges extend beyond Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry. In Nigeria, the company faces a demanding operating environment characterized by increasing inflation, currency devaluation, and foreign exchange shortages.

Despite these limitations, Nigeria, alongside other key markets like Ghana, Cameroon, and Cote d’Ivoire, continues to facilitate MTN’s revenue generation, collectively contributing 18.6% to the group’s revenue.

Beyond the African continent, MTN recently divested its entire stake in MTN Afghanistan to Investcom AF, signaling a broader strategic realignment. The divestment was accompanied by a six-month transitional services agreement, pointing to MTN’s devotion to ensuring a seamless transition period.

The telecom giant’s potential exit from Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, and Liberia is in line with the company’s focus on consolidating its presence in markets with greater growth potential and stability.

This will also enhance Telecel’s operational footprint leveraging synergies to drive future growth.

 

 


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Telecom

MTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others

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MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.

According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.

If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.

Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.

The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.

Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.

MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.

“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.

 


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Netflix Expands European Presence with €1 Billion Investment in Spain

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Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.

The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.

Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.

Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.

Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.

The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.

The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.


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ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

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Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.

ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.

According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected  (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.

Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.

It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.

This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files

“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”

In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.

Here’s what users should be doing now:

Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.

Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.

Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.

Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.

If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.

ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.

“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.

This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.

 

 

 


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