Back to the wall, MTN Nigeria has decided to reach out to Justice to settle its dispute with Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) regarding the $3.9 billion fine it was imposed for failing to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered of its SIM cards. 13 days only before deadline for payment of fine, the telecom company which now estimates that the sanction was not based on regulation in place,...

As part of its expansion plan for fiber optic, Côte d’Ivoire will invest FCFA100 billion ($165.39 million) to lay 5,000km more across the country. According to André Augustin Apete, Cabinet Director of Ivorian ministry of Posts and ICT, the additional infrastructure will add up to the 662 km fiber optic Eastern backbone connecting Bassam to Bouna and commissioned last December 1st by Prime...

Egypt’s Commercial International Bank (CIB) accepted an offer from Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding to buy its investment banking subsidiary, CI Capital, Reuters reports on December 17. Egypt’s leading private bank announced early on December 17 it received a purchase offer for 100% interest of CI Capital for EGP1 billion ($127.70 million) from OTMT, a holding owned by...

Whilst just obtaining from China a FCFA 488 billion funding it will invest in its power sector, Côte d’Ivoire just wrote off a bond issuance worth FCFA 130 billion initially planned in December, Ivorian daily Le Patriote reported on December 16. Saying the cancellation was due to the “improvement of state’s treasury”, the newspapers highlighted that Director General of Treasury and...

Mobile operator MTN Ghana won the bid for 4G telecommunications licence in Ghana, launched by the National Communications Authority (NCA). MTN Ghana beating four other bid-runners was awarded the 15 years 4G/LTE licence in 800 MHz in spectrum band for $67.5 million. The company expressed its interest in 4G technology during a press conference organized before receiving the licence. The...

Approaching the end of 2015/2016 rice season, Mali reveals a production of 2.451 million tons. This output which is 13% higher than last season’s is slightly below the expectations of Malian authorities who forecast an output of 2.599 million tons. Despite not achieving this outstanding production, Mali still succeeded in ranking second West African rice producer behind Nigeria. “The growth...

Exim Bank of China provided a FCFA 488.6 billion ($ 819 million) funding to Côte d’Ivoire to expand and rehabilitate its power grid. The funding is divided into a grant, 21 billion FCFA, and a loan, 467.6 billion FCFA. Cost of project to which the funding is directed is FCFA 513.6 billion. Government is to provide remaining sum. Carried out by Sinomach and CNEEC, the project includes the...

The Solektra Solar academy funded by Solektra International, who initiated the Akon Lighting Africa program, was commissioned on December 16 in Bamako. Dedicated towards solar technologies, this academy which is to open its gates next month, will train each year 200 workers. Headed by Patrice Dangang, the institution will offer theoretical as well as practical training on subjects such as...

Mobile operator Airtel held on December 16, 2015, a press conference to introduce all the solutions it has brought up to respond to the various complaints of its consumers about the quality of its services. Abdramane Diallo, Airtel’s Marketing Director, identified the services concerned as internet billing, direct internet, internet bundles’ validity period, billing of added value services,...

The 10th ministerial conference of World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Nairobi from December 15 to December 18 just produced its first breakthrough. On December 16, 2015, members of the 20-year old WTO signed an agreement for the expansion of Information Technologies (ITA). The agreement includes the removal of taxes on 201 additional IT products, thus boosting international trade with...