Economy
MTN Reaches $2.2bn Deal to Fully Own IHS Towers
By Adedapo Adesanya
MTN Group has agreed to take full control of IHS Holding, buying the roughly 75 per cent stake it does not already own in a deal that values the tower operator at about $2.2 billion.
According to a statement, MTN, which is Africa’s biggest mobile operator, will pay $8.50 per share in cash.
The deal will be funded through the rollover of MTN’s existing stake of around 24 per cent in IHS, as well as about $1.1 billion in cash from MTN, roughly $1.1 billion from IHS’s balance sheet, and the rollover of no more than existing IHS debt.
The offer represents a 239 per cent premium to the company’s share price when it announced a strategic review on March 12, 2024, a 36 per cent premium to its 52-week volume-weighted average price as of February 4, 2026, and a three per cent premium to its unaffected closing price of $8.23 on that same date.
The transaction will see MTN transition from being a minority shareholder in IHS to a full owner. Upon completion, IHS will delist from the New York Stock Exchange and become a wholly owned subsidiary of MTN.
For MTN, the deal represents a decisive shift as data demand surges and digital infrastructure becomes increasingly strategic with a booming digitally-oriented youth population on the continent.
Over the past decade, many African telecom operators sold tower assets to independent infrastructure firms to unlock capital and reduce balance sheet pressure. This marks a reversal of the trend.
MTN itself had reduced its direct exposure to tower ownership, retaining a roughly 24 per cent fully diluted stake in IHS before the agreement.
Speaking on this, Mr Ralph Mupita, group president and CEO, MTN Group, described the proposed acquisition as a pivotal step in strengthening MTN’s strategic and financial position in a future where digital infrastructure will be central to Africa’s development.
He said the deal would enhance MTN’s ability to partner with governments and support long-term connectivity growth across its markets.
“This proposed transaction is a pivotal step in further strengthening MTN Group’s strategic and financial position for a future where digital infrastructure will become ever more essential to Africa’s growth and development,” he said.
The board of IHS unanimously approved the agreement and recommended that shareholders vote in favor.
MTN has committed to vote all its shares in support of the deal, while long-term shareholder Wendel has also issued a letter backing the transaction. Together, they account for more than 40 per cent of shareholder support already secured.
On his part, Mr Sam Darwish, chairman and CEO of IHS, said the agreement offers shareholders certainty and immediate value realisation following a strategic review launched during a period of macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility across key markets.
Founded 25 years ago with a single tower in one market, IHS grew into one of the world’s largest independent tower companies by count, operating in 11 countries and managing approximately 40,000 towers at its peak.
If completed, the acquisition will create the largest standalone and integrated tower company in Africa under MTN’s control, tightening the alignment between network operations and physical infrastructure in a region where connectivity remains both a commercial battleground and a development imperative.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Naira sold at N1,343.64/$1 Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Friday, April 17, after shedding N1.34 or 0.10 per cent against the greenback from the previous day’s rate of N1,342.30/$1.
In the same vein, the Nigerian currency depreciated against the Pound Sterling in the same market window during the session by N5.03 to quote at N1,824.39/£1 versus the previous rate of N1,819.36/£1, and lost N10.05 against the Euro to sell at N1,591.14/€1 versus N1,581.09/€1.
At the GTBank FX desk, the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar remained unchanged at N1,355/$1, and it also maintained stability in the parallel market at N1,375/$1.
Interbank liquidity increased to N124.34 million from N74.255 million the previous day, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed.
Meanwhile, external reserves remain at $48.70 billion, down from the 2009 peak of $50 billion amidst uncertainties in the global commodities market.
Global oil prices dropped sharply on Friday after Iran signalled that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to commercial shipping during a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East.
Crypt assets also gained on the news from Iran’s foreign minister, who declared the Strait of Hormuz open, drawing a positive response from President Donald Trump. The development helped ease worry around risky assets like crypto.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market was bullish, as traders weighed possible scenarios ahead of next week’s US-Iran cease-fire deadline.
Ethereum (ETH) appreciated by 3.2 per cent to $2,410.53, Bitcoin (BTC) jumped by 2.8 per cent to $77,124.22, Ripple (XRP) rose by 2.7 per cent to $1.47, Binance Coin (BNB) expanded by 2.5 per cent to $643.97, Dogecoin (DOGE) added 1.0 per cent to close at $0.0988, Cardano (ADA) improved by 0.9 per cent to $0.2578, Solana (SOL) soared by 0.4 per cent to $88.53, and TRON (TRX) gained 0.4 per cent to sell at $0.3275, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices plunged by 9 per cent on Friday after Iran said passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was open for the remaining ceasefire period.
Brent crude futures lost $9.01 or 9.07 per cent to trade at $90.38 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures depreciated by $10.48 or 11.45 per cent to finish at $83.85 a barrel.
Iran said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for the remainder of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, bolstering hopes of a breakthrough in the weeks-long crisis over the crucial oil route.
Iran had maintained its blockade of the strait despite a two-week ceasefire with the US, which expires on Tuesday, and previously said it would not open the key waterway while Israel continued to strike Lebanon.
Business Post had reported that oil prices weakened to around $88 per barrel after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on X that “all commercial vessels” would be allowed to pass through the strait throughout the remainder of the ten-day ceasefire in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump thanked Iran on Truth Social, but stressed that the US naval blockade of the regime’s ports would remain “in full force and effect” until a peace deal was completed. “This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated,” he added.
A second round of truce talks between the US and Iran is expected to take place as oil tankers are beginning to test the waters at the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the fact that all ships can sail through the Strait of Hormuz, this passage needs to be coordinated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Market analysts noted that if these initial tankers make it through, flows will begin to partially normalise. However, a handful of vessels does not equal restored capacity. The backlog alone will take significant time to clear, and producers across the region are still dealing with disrupted output and logistics.
Prices had already fallen earlier in the Friday session as possible further talks between the US and Iran over the weekend and a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel raised investors’ hopes that the war in the Middle East could be nearing an end.
The American President also said on Friday that the US has banned Israel from further bombing in Lebanon, using a harsher tone than usual with the longtime US ally.
By Dipo Olowookere
The daily stock trading hours on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) have been expanded by an hour to 4.00 pm after extensive stakeholder engagement, ensuring alignment and operational readiness ahead of the go-live date.
A statement from the bourse on Friday said the extension was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Before now, trading activity on Customs Street resumed from 9.30 am to 2:30 pm, but from Monday, April 27, 2026, the resumption time would be 9.00 am, and the closing gong would be struck by 4.00 pm from Monday to Friday.
It was explained that this action was taken “to deepen market liquidity, enhance price discovery, and broaden investor access.”
The NGX has witnessed renewed investor interest due to increased awareness of equities lately, especially as the nation and the global community await the much-anticipated listing of Dangote Refinery shares later in the year, all things being equal.
The statement also noted that this extended trading window would provide greater flexibility for investors, improve responsiveness to market-moving information, and support broader participation across the market.
The development builds on the momentum of Nigeria’s recent reclassification to Frontier Market status by FTSE Russell, reinforcing NGX’s global positioning and enhancing its attractiveness to a broader pool of domestic and international investors.
It further stated that this reform reflects strong regulatory collaboration and underscores the SEC’s continued commitment to advancing market development initiatives. Alongside Nigeria’s Frontier Market reclassification, it signals a deliberate shift towards a more accessible, liquid, and globally competitive market.
With this development, NGX reinforces its position as a leading multi-asset exchange, deepening liquidity, improving market access, and supporting efficient capital formation within Nigeria’s financial markets.
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