Miebi Senge
3 September 2008
Lagos — NIGERIA's Second National Operator, Globacom Limited which recently announced a 19 million subscriber base making it the industry leader in the largest African telecom market, is set to push the frontiers of coverage even further as it engages Europe's largest mobile operator, UK's Vodafone in a titanic battle for the soul of South Africa's biggest operator, Vodacom.
Vodafone, a late entrant to the African market lately acquired Ghana's leading operator, Ghana Telecom in possibly questionable circumstance amid public protests, and disagreement from leading opposition members of Parliament had sought to up its 50 per cent Vodacom stake by buying into Telkom South Africa's 50 per cent holding in the leading mobile operator.
According to reports from South Africa, Globacom which is basking in the euphoria leading the highly competitive Nigerian market with 19 million subscribers at only five years of existence has made a very impressive and tempting bid which the Telkom gurus find very enticing.
South Africa's local media were reported Monday as quoting Johannesburg brokerage firm Mowana Investment, as saying it was handling the bid. According to the report, Globacom owner Dr. Mike Adenuga, wants to create a R140 billion pan-African telecom company to be known as "Vodaglo".
One of the key players in Mowana Investment, is the former chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications Nkenke Kekana, who was punted as one of the hopefuls in the R7.5 billion Vodacom BEE deal.
Others include Business Connexion CEO Benjamin Mophatlane; his brother, Isaac; former ICASA chairman Mandla Langa; and former communications department deputy director-general Joe Mjwara.
Globacom, with a large dream to become the continent's leading telecom service provider Adenuga, also into banking in Nigeria who had a brush with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) in 2006 under former president Olusegun Obasanjo, has always had a big dream of building the continent's leading telecom provider.
It already has infrastructure in Africa, Europe, America, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. It recently launched commercial services in neighbouring Benin Republic and Ghana, and is laying a fibre optic submarine cable from Lagos to the UK for direct connectivity with Europe and the rest of the world, to address current traffic trends and cater for long-term bandwidth requirements.
A source at the Mike Adenuga Towers, Globacom corporate headquarters in Victoria Island told Vanguard "talks were ongoing", but declined to comment further for insufficient "evidence". On it's recent campaign as market leader, the source declined to comment.
But its latest TVC which stares some of the country's leading music icons like 'King' Sunny Ade, (KSA) claims its is now market leader with 19 million customers. Its closest competitor, MTN Nigeria reports a 39 per cent increase to 18.6 million in the Group's mid-year report. Middle Eastern operator, Zain (formerly Celtel) recently received 'Best Customer Care Servhas reported a 15.5 million subscriber base in August.
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