MTN Nigeria has said it is offering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) access to its over $15 billion Nigerian investments through a joint partnership with the Cable News Network (CNN) International that would lead to mushrooming of smaller businesses and electronic commerce platforms vital for Nigeria’s economic growth and development.
The Group Chief Enterprise Officer, MTN Group, Mr Mteto Nyati, said the Nigerian operator has made huge investments in the biggest data centre and microwave backbone in West Africa, built sub-Saharan Africa’s largest terrestrial fibre optic backbone as well as connected the country to the undersea West Africa Cable System (WACS).
Nyati who disclosed this in Lagos during the launch of an MTN-sponsored programme on CNN aimed at promoting small African businesses, the ‘Africa View,’ said the next phase is investing in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that will help Nigerian and African companies understand customer needs and benefit from the dynamic internet industry.
The ‘Africa View’ series will air within CNN’s flagship news and current affairs programme ‘Connect the World with Becky Anderson,’ showcasing topics and influential sectors driving African countries, from education and energy to technology and innovation. The series provides background and context to trends, figures and initiatives shaping the African continent. The programme will be featured on primetime CNN programmes such as Inside Africa, Africa Startups, African Voices and Market Place Africa and will tell the story of Africa’s diversity, dynamism and role on the global stage. The launch featured seasoned panelists and discussants in the Nigerian technology and business industry.
MTN Nigeria has emerged as the biggest ICT company in West Africa, extending its footprints into telecommunications, information technology, cloud-based services, managed services and web hosting and web development services. It has 62 million subscribers and over 9,000 base transceiver stations powering its network.
