News
MTN Group buys IHS Towers for $6.2bn
Chairman and CEO of IHS Towers, Sam Darwish, described the agreement as a compelling opportunity to crystallise value built over the company’s 25-year history.
MTN Group has reached an agreement to acquire IHS Towers, one of the world’s largest independent owners and operators of shared telecom infrastructure, in an all-cash transaction that values the company at an enterprise value of approximately $6.2 billion.
The deal follows weeks of negotiations between both parties.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, IHS shareholders will receive $8.50 per ordinary share in cash, representing a 36% premium to its 52-week volume-weighted average price, and a modest 3% premium to its unaffected closing price of $8.23 on February 4, 2026.
Chairman and CEO of IHS Towers, Sam Darwish, described the agreement as a compelling opportunity to crystallise value built over the company’s 25-year history.
“Today’s announcement creates a compelling opportunity that provides certainty and immediate returns for our shareholders, enabling them to crystallize the significant value generated during our strategic review.
The proposed transaction deepens our long-standing partnership with MTN, as it combines Africa’s largest mobile network operator with one of its largest digital infrastructure platforms, and underscores the strong connection between IHS Towers and the African continent,” he said.
MTN’s Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, said the transaction would strengthen the company’s strategic and financial position as digital infrastructure becomes increasingly central to economic development on the continent
For IHS customers and partners across the continent, we commit to continuing high standards of service and the right governance of what is the largest standalone and integrated tower company in Africa, enabled by the excellent people within HIS,” he said.
IHS Towers’ Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transaction and recommended it to shareholders.
Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor to IHS Towers, and Latham & Watkins LLP and Walkers (Cayman) LLP are acting as legal counsel to IHS Towers.
BofA Securities and Citigroup Global Markets Limited are acting as financial advisors to MTN; Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP are acting as legal advisors.
News
FG introduces compulsory drug tests for secondary school students
The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.
The federal government is introducing mandatory drug tests for students in secondary schools nationwide.
According to the new policy, all newly enrolled secondary school students will be subject to mandatory drug integrity testing at the moment of entry.
The directive is contained in the National Implementation Guidelines Against Drug and Substance Use in Schools in Nigeria for secondary schools.
The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.
According to the document, the policy is designed to “create a conducive environment for teaching and learning in the institutions by reducing the negative effect substance abuse has on the mental health and academic performance of students/learners.”
The guideline states that “all new students/learners shall be subjected to drug tests and other measures approved by the schools/learning centres at the point of entry,” adding that the process must be carried out “in collaboration with approved federal/state health facilities and procedures.”
News
Instagram drops end-to-end encryption for private messages
With E2EE removed, Instagram will now be able to access the contents of direct messages, including text, images, videos, and voice notes.
Users of Instagram will no longer be able to send ultra-private direct messages, after parent company Meta switched off end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for the platform’s messaging service worldwide.
The move marks a major reversal for Meta, which had previously positioned E2EE as the “gold standard” for user privacy.
E2EE ensures that only the sender and recipient can read messages, but it has long been criticised by child safety campaigners who argue it can make it harder to detect abuse and illegal content.
As a result, the decision has been welcomed by child protection groups but strongly criticised by privacy advocates.
With E2EE removed, Instagram will now be able to access the contents of direct messages, including text, images, videos, and voice notes.
No fewer than 16 people have been confirmed dead after an 18-seater passenger bus plunged off a bridge in a horrific accident along the Okene-Osara-Lokoja Road in Kogi State.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Friday in Osara, Adavi Local Government Area.
According to the Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lawal Fagge, two passengers survived the crash but sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Fagge, who confirmed the details in a telephone interview with Arise News, attributed the accident to excessive speeding by the driver.
He commended officers from the Zariagi Unit of the FRSC for their swift response, as they promptly rescued the survivors and evacuated the injured to medical facilities.
The bodies of the deceased victims have been recovered and deposited at a morgue in Lokoja.
The latest road tragedy has once again sparked concerns over the rising cases of reckless driving and over-speeding on Nigeria’s major highways.
Road safety authorities are urging motorists to observe speed limits and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to avoid preventable loss of lives.
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