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.
Wale Owoeye, the Managing Director/CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited, a leading ICT firm based in Lagos State, has been honored as one of Nigeria’s 50 most influential personalities in the digital economy.
He received this prestigious recognition at the recent “50 Most Valuable Personalities in Nigeria’s Digital Economy” event held in Lagos.
Organised by IT Edge News Africa, the event brought together key stakeholders from various sectors, including prominent industry associations such as the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and the Association of Licensed Data Protection Organisations of Nigeria (ALDAPCON).
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Ike Nnamani, CEO of Digital Realty Nigeria, and Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, a distinguished scholar and politician, delivered keynote presentations.
Olatunji emphasized the crucial role of data protection in the digital economy, while Yilwatda outlined essential steps for Nigeria to maximize opportunities in the digital economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Nnamani, whose presentation focused on the “Myths and Realities of the Nigerian Digital Economy,” underscored the accelerated digitization of both consumer and enterprise sectors in Nigeria, driving demand for digital skills and data center capacity.
Gathering recognizes Owoeye’s exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s digital economy
The gathering recognized Owoeye’s exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s digital economy. With a remarkable career in Nigeria’s ICT/telecoms sector, Owoeye has successfully steered Cedarview Communications to expand its presence to Port Harcourt and Abuja, offering a wide range of Value Added Services (VAS) in the telecoms market.
Cedarview has also established strategic alliances in Asia, Europe, and the US to facilitate growth in its operational areas. Additionally, Owoeye serves as the VAS Coordinator for the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), further solidifying his impact on Nigeria’s digital economy.
Published since 2009, IT Edge News Africa is one of Africa’s leading technology and business publications.
In a recent revelation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Airtel Nigeria has emerged as a standout performer in the country’s telecommunications sector, marking significant gains in market share over the past year.
According to the NCC data, by the end of March 2024, Airtel Nigeria has grown its market share over the last year into a remarkable 29%, solidifying its position as a leading telecom provider in the region.
In stark contrast, other mobile network operators such as MTN and 9mobile have faced considerable setbacks, with MTN witnessing a notable 3.19% decline in market share and 9mobile experiencing a 0.5% decrease.
Even Glo, a prominent player in the market, saw a decline, albeit less pronounced, with a 0.58% drop in its share of internet subscribers.
Airtel Nigeria’s success story goes beyond market share gains. The company has also witnessed a substantial surge in its share of internet subscribers, boasting an impressive 165% basis points increase.
This surge correlates with the launch of Airtel 5G, which the company began rolling out in June 2023 and underscores the telco’s continued push to grow its customer base nationwide.
Airtel Nigeria’s ascendancy in the telecom market comes at a pivotal moment when mobile network operators face challenges of rising operations cost and exchange rates volatility. The company’s recent results solidify its position as a frontrunner in Nigeria’s telecom landscape.
Google Developer Groups Lagos (GDGLagos) has announced a regional edition of the global #BuildWithAI hackathon, in partnership with SeerBit, Africa’s most trusted payment solutions provider and GOMYCODE.
This hackathon, taking place on Saturday, April 27th and Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, will empower participants to explore Google’s AI tools, Gemini and Vertex AI and develop innovative solutions for real-world challenges.
“We are excited to partner with Seerbit and GoMyCode to bring the #BuildWithAI hackathon to Lagos,” says Co-Organizer, GDGLagos, Femi Taiwo. “This event fosters innovation and empowers individuals to use AI to solve real-world problems. We encourage everyone interested in AI to join us for this inspiring event.”
Founder & CEO of SeerBit, Omoniyi Kolade articulated the profound impact of this collaboration, stating, “At SeerBit, we are committed to pioneering innovative solutions that enhance financial security and foster trust in digital transactions. Collaborating with GDG Lagos amplifies our quest to combat fraud effectively. Together, we aim to empower developers to harness the power of technology for the greater good, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.”
“At GOMYCODE, we are committed to unlocking the potential of innovators across Nigeria and beyond through accessible technology education. The ‘Build With AI’ hackathon with Google Developer Groups Lagos offers a hands-on chance for innovators to use AI for real-world solutions. We’re excited to create a space where technology meets creativity, empowering participants to actively shape the future,” Country Head, GOMYCODE Nigeria, Babatunde Olaifa said.
The #BuildWithAI hackathon aligns with Google’s global initiative to democratize access to AI technology. This regional event in Lagos offers a unique opportunity for developers, data scientists, designers, students, and anyone curious about AI to:
- Gain hands-on experience with Google’s cutting-edge AI tools, Gemini and Vertex AI.
- Tackle real-world challenges across various sectors like sustainability, finance, education, healthcare, and social good.
- Leverage SeerBit’s expertise in digital payments to create solutions with tangible applications.
- Develop in-demand skills with the support of GoMyCode’s training resources.
- Collaborate in teams and network with fellow AI enthusiasts.
- Compete for a chance to win a cash prize of NGN 1,000,000, office space to further develop their winning solution, and the opportunity to partner with SeerBit, with NGN 500,000 and NGN 250,000 for second and third place respectively.
The GDGLagos #BuildWithAI hackathon serves as a springboard for the global Google AI Hackathon, taking place online. This international event focuses on pushing the boundaries of what Generative AI apps can do with Gemini. Participants in the Lagos event are highly encouraged to consider entering the global competition as well.
GDGLagos will provide ongoing support and guidance to the regional winner as they prepare to compete on the global stage. This includes access to mentorship, resources and technical expertise to help them refine their solution and showcase their talent to a worldwide audience.
Startup founders, experienced developers, data scientists and expert resources and designated mentors will be available during the hackathon to provide guidance, refine ideas, answer questions and offer technical support to participants. This ensures they receive the necessary guidance to tackle the challenges and bring their innovative ideas to life.
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