MTN invests in Cameroon, signs 5G enterprise deal in Nigeria

MTN Group has vowed to invest $225 million over three years towards Cameroon's digital economy.

The announcement was made by MTN's Group CEO Ralph Mupita who met with Cameroon's Prime Minster Joseph Dion Ngute at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa last week.

Furthermore, Mupita and Ngute also discussed a way forward on on a legal dispute in the country that has seen the operator's assets frozen since last year.

"Our local operation, MTN Cameroon, is committed to the development of the digital economy of Cameroon and to this end, has committed over the next three years, an investment of more than $200 million towards technology and network services, and $25 million towards strengthening the fintech business through the subsidiary Mobile Money Corporation," said Mupita.

MTN Cameroon had its accounts frozen in September 2022 due to a strange legal dispute involving a Cameroonian business mogul. (Source: Image by www.slon.pics on Freepik).

MTN Cameroon had its accounts frozen in September 2022 due to a bizarre case that stems from a dispute between Cameroonian business mogul Ahmadou Baba Danpullo, who owns Bestinver Group, and South Africa's First National Bank (FNB) over a real estate loan.

"MTN Cameroon firmly contests the garnishment of its bank accounts, that it considers as abusive, fraudulent and unacceptable given that MTN Cameroon has no relation whatsoever with neither Bestinver Group of companies, Mr. Danpullo, nor the said South African Bank," MTN Cameroon CEO Mitwa Ng'ambi told Connecting Africa at the time.

South African-headquartered MTN Group asked for the Prime Minister's guidance on the matter to fast track a resolution, and he pledged to have the matter "resolved speedily and fairly".

MTN is Cameroon's second biggest mobile operator with about 11 million mobile users at the end of the second quarter of 2023, according to statistics from market research company Omdia, a sister company of Connecting Africa.

The only bigger operator is Orange Cameroon with almost 11.8 million mobile users. Nexttel had almost 6.5 million mobile users, putting it in third place, and Camtel had just 572,564 mobile customers.

MTN Nigeria to deploy 5G services for Seplat Energy

MTN Nigeria is set to deploy 5G services to oil and gas company Seplat Energy to facilitate business optimization.

The announcement comes after the telco and energy company signed a '5G2Business' memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The MoU attests to unprecedented advancements in business digital transformation, the telco said in a statement.

Furthermore, the telco said 5G will enable Nigerian businesses to unlock new efficiencies, automate processes, optimize operations, and propel productivity and innovation to new heights.

"Seplat's adoption of 5G services is a testament to the company's drive to lead the digital revolution in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria," MTN Nigeria continued.

"Globally, 5G technology is powering the 4th Industrial Revolution with its low latency that facilitates Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and smart business operations," it added.

MTN Nigeria said 5G will enable businesses to unlock new efficiencies, automate processes, optimize operations, and propel productivity and innovation to new heights. (Source: Image by starline on Freepik).

"With this partnership, we open new vistas of possibilities, empowering enterprises to embrace cutting-edge technologies and digitally transform their day-to-day operations," said MTN Nigeria Chief Enterprise Business Officer Lynda Saint-Nwafor.

Furthermore, she believed that the collaboration is set to deliver great value to Seplat Energy's stakeholders.

"This partnership marks a significant step forward in embracing 5G technology's vast potential, and we believe it will empower us to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth in the energy sector," said Seplat Energy Corporate Services Director Charles Gbandi.

*Top image source: MTN Group.

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa