Tigo, Airtel merge to become No 2 operator in Ghana

Millicom International Cellular S.A. and Bharti Airtel Limited operators of Tigo and Airtel have announced that they have, through their respective subsidiaries, entered into an agreement to combine their operations in Ghana which would see both companies get equal ownership and governance rights in the combined entity.

A press statement released today March 3, to announce the merger, stated that the combined business would become the number two operator in Ghana serving nearly 10 million customers, of which 5.6 million are data customers.

It would cover more than 80% of Ghana’s population with high-speed data, providing the widest 3G coverage across the country, and would have revenues close to $300m, making it one of the largest communications companies in Ghana.

The transaction is subject to obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities in Ghana and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

By integrating the two networks, the combined business is expected to provide Ghanaian customers with a major boost in both rural and urban network coverage – in turn translating into better voice quality, high-speed data services and reinforced network stability and resilience.

With the combined fibre footprint and increased data centres, enterprise customers including both, large corporations and SMEs, would have access to a diverse portfolio of world-class solutions.

According to the Executive Vice President Millicom in charge of Africa, Mohamed Dabbour:

“In a highly fragmented telecom market, this deal represents a major milestone for our business in Ghana.

The combination of Tigo and Airtel will create an operator that will be able to offer Ghanaian consumers and businesses a state of the art network with high speed mobile data coverage.

This transaction underlines confidence in the Ghanaian economy, and provides the opportunity to develop nationwide digital infrastructure and services in Ghana.”

For the MD and CEO of Airtel Africa, Raghunath Mandava:

“The agreement highlights our commitment to the Ghana market and our customers.

The coming together of the two entities will benefit customers, who can now enjoy an extensive combined network and a wider range of affordable and innovative products and services.

It will further strengthen our position in the market and offer huge benefits arising out of synergies in operations, resulting in better experience for the customers.”