Telecom
Tizeti Expands to Other African Markets, As It Goes Public
In line with its commitment to bridge the digital gap in Africa, West Africa’s pioneer solar-based internet and voice service provider, Tizeti, is set to expand its operations within Nigeria and Ghana, and into new neighboring Cote d’Ivoire and Togo in addition to mulling listing its Nigerian Subsidiary.
L-R: Elliot Sangoleye, Head, Payments Acceptance and Digital Commerce, Providus Bank; Modupe Okeowo, Country Manager, Eutelsat; Ifeanyi Okonkwo, Co-Founder/COO, Tizeti; Kendall Ananyi, Founder/CEO, Tizeti; Osayi Izedonmwen, CEO, Teesas, and Mayowa Owolabi, CEO, PaddyCover, at Tizeti’s NeXTGEN conference held on Friday.
With over 2.8 million subscribers on its platform, a revenue of over N11 billion over 10 years, and no debt, the firm is exploring an Initial Public Offer (IPO) in the stock market for investors/shareholders while setting its eyes on expanding its footprints across the Francophone and Anglophone countries in West Africa.
Speaking at the second edition of Tizeti’s annual event tagged “NeXTGEN 2.0: The Next Frontier”, Mr. Kendall Ananyi, founder and chief executive officer of Tizeti, stressed that the broadband gap in Africa is still very high and operators like Tizeti must expand to ensure that more Africans have access to reliable, affordable and truly unlimited internet from Tizeti.
According to him, Tizeti has been providing affordable unlimited internet service in Nigeria and Ghana using solar towers which has brought about 30-50 percent cost savings on data cap plans and made it the preferred option to its competitors.
“This expansion is very strategic for us and for the continent. We have grown significantly within the last few years, being profitable in three out of the last four years and paid our first dividend this year. We currently have over 3884 hotspot locations and built 1 tower every month since we started, with 2.8 million users in Nigeria.
“Today, Tizeti delivers over 190TBPS of data a day, which is about 20% of what large Nigerian telcos with coverage in 36 states deliver. Using publicly available data on the website of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and our internal data, we are the number one fixed Internet Service Provider by users and active users in Nigeria today and the ISP of the year 2022.
“And there’s still so much room for growth. Internet users in Africa are still about 26% of the total population, with almost 900 million people unconnected. We are now exploring the public markets for equity/debt to fund our next growth phase.
“We have reserved our ticker at NASDAQ, and are exploring London Stock Exchange as we are an LSE-Companies to Inspire, as well as the Nigerian Exchange NGX”, Ananyi said.
Speaking on the Francophone expansion, Ifeanyi Okonkwo, co-founder and chief operating officer of Tizeti, highlighted the increased submarine cable investments in Africa to date, and the absence of middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure that moves the capacity where it is needed. With Tizeti’s new infrastructure build-out across West Africa, Tizeti plans to bridge the digital divide and bring more Africans online via its unlimited service offering.
“We believe that Africa offers the most significant potential demand for broadband expansion, and we have looked at their populations, their relative contributions to GDP, the prevalence of higher and tertiary institutions, and other pool factors,” said Okonkwo.
Tizeti also launched new connectivity offerings, Tizeti Turbo Connect, which provides up to 150MBPS fiber-connected capacity to homes and offices, for NGN 60,000 (USD 85), and a new technology that allows it to deliver up to 1000MBPS. The company also announced new energy initiatives that minimize diesel cost consumption with solar panels and wind turbines across its base stations. Interested users can pre-sign up for Tizeti’s new locations at https://wifi.com.ng/presignup
Other speakers at Tizeti’s NeXTGEN include Vickie Robinson, General Manager, Microsoft Airband; Oremeyi Akah, Chief Customer Success Officer, Interswitch; Dolapo Onah, General Manager, MainOne by Equinix; Elliot Sangoleye, Head, Payments Acceptance and Digital Commerce, Providus; Gbolade Emmanuel, CEO, Termii; Osayi Izedonmwen, CEO, Teesas; Modupe Okeowo, Country Manager, Eutelsat; Sola Akindolu, CEO, Brass; Mayowa Owolabi, CEO, PaddyCover; Vickie Robinson, General Manager, Microsoft Airband; Ionut Croitoru, EMEA Sales Lead, Cambium, and Desayo Tomi-Solanke, COO, Trove. The partners include MainOne, Providus Bank, Microsoft, Cambium, CSquared and Nokia.
Tizeti’s NeXTGEN 2.0 expanded the vision of the first edition and provides a platform for stakeholders in African telecommunications, technology, and business communities to strategize for Africa’s next frontier, while networking, discovering new opportunities, and discussing breakthrough trends in the global and African telecoms and technology ecosystem.
The second edition event had over 700 technology enthusiasts, IT innovators, startup executives, corporate business leaders, and digital thought leaders and ended with an exciting 10th-anniversary dinner.
MTN Nigeria recently celebrated the graduation of the third cohort of its Media Innovation Programme (MIP), awarding a total of NGN 2.5 million in cash prizes to three outstanding fellows. The graduation ceremony took place at the Pan-Atlantic University in Ibeju-Lekki, highlighting MTN’s commitment to fostering innovation in the media sector.
Launched in partnership with the School of Media and Communication at Pan-Atlantic University, the MIP is designed to equip media professionals with essential skills in traditional journalism while emphasizing the importance of technology in storytelling. Over six-months, fellows engaged in a comprehensive curriculum that included topics such as media entrepreneurship, ICT in media, and ethical journalism.
During the graduation ceremony, three fellows were recognized for their exceptional contributions including the MTN Nigeria Chairman Award for Innovation awarded to Augustus Aigbe of Cool FM; the MTN Foundation Chairman Award for Innovative Reportage to Moninkanola Ogidan of Adaba 88.9FM, Akure and the MTN Award for Best Reporting awarded to Chiemelie Ezeobi from ThisDay Newspapers.
The Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, emphasized the importance of the media innovation and adaptability in media, stating that these awards represent an investment in the future leaders of journalism. “At MTN, we believe a lot in excellence, which is why the partnership with Pan-Atlantic University is still ongoing. We recognise that the future of media lies in innovation and adaptability.
“These awards do not just celebrate the Fellows’ achievement; we are investing in the next generation of media leaders. In an era where digital platforms redefine how stories are told, media practitioners must be equipped with the skills and resources to thrive.”
Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya, Dean of the School of Media and Communication, highlighted the significance of investing in future media professionals to drive positive societal change while maintaining ethical standards. “In recent times, technological innovation, social media, Artificial Intelligence and the likes have been viewed as dangerous, due to their misuse, although they are not in themselves bad.
“And this is one thing that drives our programs for media practitioners. Our vision is to train and equip competent and professional persons who will use these technological advancements and platforms as a means to contribute to the good of the society.”
The ceremony ended with the Class President, Nifemi Oguntoye expressing his gratitude towards MTN and Pan-Atlantic University for providing a transformative experience that fostered cultural diplomacy between Nigeria and South Africa. “We’ve had the privilege of learning from some of the best minds in the industry. The lessons learnt during our study trip, discussions and engagements have been invaluable. We are eternally grateful to Pan-Atlantic University and MTN for the commitment to empowering Nigerian journalists. A number of our colleagues look forward to having this experience in the next cohort and we know they will not be disappointed”, he said.
To date, MTN Nigeria has invested over NGN 300 million in the media. MIP not only aims to enhance the skills of individual practitioners but also seeks to contribute to a more robust media landscape capable of navigating the complexities of a digital economy projected to reach $18.3 billion by 2026. The event reflects MTN’s ongoing dedication to bridging the digital divide and enhancing media capabilities within Nigeria’s rapidly evolving landscape.
MTN Group and MTN Nigeria have expressed delight at participating in the 11th South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission held in Cape Town on Tuesday, during which the strong bonds between the two countries were reinforced and plans were made to accelerate cooperation.
MTN Group CEO/President, Ralph Mupita and MTN Nigeria Chairman, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe with President Tinubu
The MTN delegation – led by Group President & CEO, Ralph Mupita, MTN Nigeria Chairman, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe and MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Olutokun Toriola – was honoured to engage with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the sidelines of the meeting, which was hosted by South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Hon Parks Tau.
MTN Nigeria is an important MTN subsidiary, accounting for some 27% of all MTN subscribers and some 23% of Group service revenue.
MTN has long established itself as a company that is a proud supporter of the Nigerian economy, remaining committed to contributing to the nation’s progress across several fronts.
“We believe in the Bi-National Commission’s objectives and the pivotal role of the digital economy in driving inclusive growth in Nigeria. We look forward to continuing our support for economic development initiatives,” says a MTN LinkedIn post.
Digital Realty Nigeria’s CEO, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, has received a prestigious Presidential recognition from the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) at the 7th .ng Awards.
Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani
This accolade recognizes his significant contributions to the growth and evolution of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem over the past three decades.
“Nnamani was honored for his innovative spirit and leadership in shaping the future of the digital landscape,” said NiRA President, Adesola Akinsanya, while commending him and other awardees for their exceptional work in driving digital transformation in Nigeria.
A visibly humbled Nnamani dedicated the award to his dedicated team at Digital Realty Nigeria, acknowledging their pivotal role in the company’s success. He expressed gratitude to NiRA and the broader industry for recognizing his contributions.
This latest recognition adds to Nnamani’s impressive list of accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Awards and the prestigious Titans of Tech Hall of Fame.
The 7th .ng Awards, a biennial event, celebrated the achievements of individuals and organizations that have made significant strides in Nigeria’s digital landscape.
The two-day event featured insightful discussions on emerging technologies, digital trends, and the role of the .ng domain in shaping Nigeria’s digital future.
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