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. 

The Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, has consoled with Yauri Local Government Area and Yauri Emirate over boat mishap that claimed the lives of 14 people.

In a statement signed by Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kebbi State, he condoles the immediate family members, the local government, the emirate as well as the good people of Yauri shortly after attending the funeral prayer, the governor urged them to accept the will God Almighty in good faith.

Represented by the Chairman, Yauri LG, Hon. Abubakar Shu’aibu, the governor prayed God Almighty to forgive their shortcomings and grant them Jannatul Firdaus.

“I appeal to you to accept this in good faith bearing in mind that nothing happens without the knowledge of our creator.

Narrating the ideal, the chairman said that the accident occured at Gumbi village in Gumbi ward of Yauri LG after they accompanied a bride to her husband’s house at Gwarzo village in Ngaski LG.

“The celebrants were on their way back home when the boat capsised and over 100 people drawn, 14 people consisting of 13 females and a child died.”

All the deceased persons have been buried according to Islamic rites. We pray Allah (SWT) to forgive them and accept their Shahad,” he prayed.

Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., the pioneering civil rights activist, Baptist minister, two-time Democratic presidential candidate, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has died at the age of 84.

Jackson passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family, according to a statement from his family and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

A towering figure in American civil rights and politics for more than five decades, Jackson rose to national prominence as a close ally and protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s.

He marched alongside King, continued the fight for racial equality after King’s assassination, and became a powerful voice for economic justice, voting rights, and the empowerment of marginalized communities.

In the 1980s, Jackson made history with his groundbreaking presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, building a broad “Rainbow Coalition” of poor and working-class people across racial lines and galvanizing support for progressive causes.

His fiery oratory and moral vision reshaped the Democratic Party and inspired generations of activists.

Jackson founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to advocate for social and economic justice, and he frequently served as a bridge between grassroots movements and political power negotiating with world leaders, challenging corporate practices, and championing the voiceless both in the U.S. and abroad.

In recent years, Jackson had battled progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition, which led to his hospitalization in late 2025 and his stepping down from leadership roles at Rainbow PUSH in 2023.

His family described him as a “servant leader” who left an indelible mark on history. “Our father was a servant leader not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in their statement.

Reverend Jesse Jackson’s legacy endures in the ongoing struggle for civil rights, equality, and justice.

Further details on memorial services and tributes are expected in the coming days.