• Government tasks KPMG with 60-day review of AT Ghana and Telecel stake.

• AT Ghana burdened with $289 mln debt, market share down to under 8%.

• Goal is to create a strong second operator to rival MTN’s 74% dominance.

The Ghanaian government has appointed consulting firm KPMG to assess the future of AT Ghana (formerly AirtelTigo) and its stake in Telecel Ghana, as part of efforts to build a second major telecom operator to challenge MTN, which holds nearly 74% of the market.

The state took over AT in 2021 for a symbolic $1 after the exit of Bharti Airtel and Millicom. But the operator has remained weak. As of March 2025, its debt stood at 3.5 billion cedis ($289 million), including 1.5 billion owed to tower operator ATC Ghana. Nonpayment led to site shutdowns, forcing the government to urgently migrate 3 million subscribers to Telecel’s network under a national roaming deal.

AT Ghana, created in 2017 from the merger of Airtel and Tigo, has seen its market share collapse from 25.8% in 2018 to under 8% by the end of 2024, according to the National Communications Authority. Telecel, formerly Vodafone Ghana, controls 18.1%.

Communications and Digital Innovation Minister Sam George said KPMG will have 60 days to review AT’s debt, examine the state’s stake in Telecel, and recommend options including a merger. The aim, he said, is to “create a strong second player and rebalance the market.”

In the meantime, the government has assured that AT’s 300 permanent employees will keep their jobs, and the situation of 200 contract staff will also be considered.