The announcement comes weeks after the official approval by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Citi Business News understands that today’s announcement will also culminate in the human resource plan for the new entity which involves skills assessment of staff of both companies.

With this, the meeting is said to have led to mixed feelings among workers of Tigo and Airtel.

Aside the official unveiling of the new company name and logo, executives for the merged entity will also be officially out doored today.

The Marketing Director of Airtel, Rosy Fynn explains that completing the merger process could span beyond a year.

But she is confident that the move is necessary for building strong companies in the telecom industry.

Following the approval of the merger by the NCA last month, Tigo’s MD, Roshi Motman has since been named as the CEO of the new entity.

But Airtel’s MD, Lucy Quist has resigned from the company.

Meanwhile, some workers have begun making moves to exit the entity.

According to them, the new entity has created a situation that may require one person occupying some top management positions even though the two companies already have people in those positions.

Labour Expert, Mr. Austin Gamey believes the need to cut down on the workforce may be due to new strategies.

The successful closing will see both companies hold equal ownership and governance rights in the combined entity.

The new entity after the merger is set to assume the second largest telecom company slot.

–

By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Tigo, Airtel to outdoor new brand name today appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The headquarters of both entities were vibrant and alive as employees created awareness on Breast Cancer Awareness month which was climaxed with a buffet lunch and fund-raising activities.

The merged entity had a lot to celebrate given that they have over the years supported Breast Cancer campaigns by raising funds among themselves and supporting various institutions in creating awareness on early detection and caring for survivors.

This year’s internal awareness campaign which builds on the successes of activities over the years, featured a month-long digital news portal updates to employees on the signs to look out for, how to self-examine and treatment options when such signs are reported for early medical attention.

Employees were also sensitized against stigmatization and encouraged to be strong support systems for loved ones who find themselves with the devastating disease. They also partnered with NGO, Breast Care International for this year’s ‘Walk for Cure’ awareness campaign in Koforidua in the Eastern region.

The Breast Cancer awareness month has become an institutionalized feature for employee engagements for Tigo and Airtel staff to compliment the national agenda which was this year themed “Early Detection and Effective Treatment Save Lives”.

–

Credit: Tigo/Airtel Ghana

The post Tigo, Airtel staff climax breast bancer month appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

On October 13, 2017, the Managing Director of Tigo, Roshi Motman, was named as the new CEO of  the merged  entity, following the resignation of the MD of Airtel, Lucy Quist

[contextly_sidebar id=”AHI4n7DalPzxuJw6Wc6D57fHn8BwcFh1″]Even though the merged entity is yet to come out with a new directive on the number of workers that will be retained, some have begun making moves to exit the entity.

According to them, the new entity has created a situation that may require one person occupying some top management positions even though the two companies already have people in those positions.

For example, it was known that the merged entity will have one Chief Executive Officer, hence the exit of the CEO of Airtel , Madam Lucy Quist.

The situation is expected to run through the top management positions of the new entity.

Labour Expert, Austin Gamey, believes the need to cut down on the workforce may be due to new strategies.

All over the world, mergers and takeovers among business entities have brought some level of restructuring that have left some workers losing their jobs.

On August 3rd 2008, global telecom company Vodafone, acquired 70 percent stake in Ghana telecom.

The move resulted in a massive restructuring that left some workers being laid off, but made the company much stronger and more profitable.

–

By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Airtel, Tigo Merger: Workers anxious of losing key positions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It unclear where Ms Quist, who has been at the helm of affairs since 2014, will be heading to.

There were earlier reports that Tigo’s current MD, Ms. Roshi Motman, is likely to be named as the MD of the new entity to be created following the merger of Airtel and Tigo.

[contextly_sidebar id=”MsfJPYOWcbwN4GIlCKNIEuahP10SgCRK”]The National Communications Authority (NCA),  early last week announced it had given approval for the merger between Airtel and Tigo to proceed with the merger subject to some conditions.

A statement from the NCA and copied to Citi Business News indicated that, the merger will result in an entity which will be the second largest mobile network operator in the country.

The merger, which was first announced in March this year, required the regulator to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the application and the regulatory ecosystem.

The latest development brings to an end months of speculation about her role as CEO of Airtel Ghana, once the planned merger between the company and Tigo Ghana are concluded.

A short note to her followers on her Facebook page @lucyquistofficial, and her website www.lucyquist.com confirmed her planned exit.

Portions of her note read “ After almost three and a half year of leading the amazing team at Airtel Ghana, the time is right for me to move on to the next chapter. It has been a truly remarkable journey and I thank each and everyone of you for your support, encouragement and business partnership over the course of my stewardship. We are proud of our achievements. Particularly, I want to thank all those who have been part of the many initiatives I have led over the last few years to empower young people and every young person who works with me for that matter. Notably the Evolve with STEM and the Bold New Normal initiatives. I look forward to empowering more young people even as I continue my professional journey. Together we will create the Bold New Normal of prosperity for our country and continent”.

Lucy Quist’s period at Airtel Ghana

Lucy Quist joined Airtel Ghana in 2014 as the first Ghanaian female CEO of a major multinational telecom company.

During her tenure, she successfully led her team to re-position and transform Airtel Ghana into one of the fastest growing telecom companies in the country, as well as the industry leader in data and digital innovation, and the most loved telecom brand in the daily lives of Ghanaians.

She is credited with leading the launch of breakthrough initiatives for Airtel Ghana, including the introduction of bespoke sub brands and value propositions for customers – such as  Airtel Premier, the telecom industry’s first ever sub brand that provides telecom and lifestyle solutions for High Value customers.

She also led the creation of Airtel’s Data Business – building a specific sub brand to grow the data side of the business – resulting in a significant growth in customer and revenue market share for data.

Airtel’s Data Business became the conduit for digital inclusion, and some of the most remarkable innovations in the data and internet service provider space within the Ghanaian telecom industry.

Personal achievements

Mrs. Quist has been recognized by several reputable organisations– Corporate Leadership Award (Ghana Legacy Honours 2017), Telecom CEO of the Year (Ghana ICT and Telecoms Award 2016), CSR CEO of the year (Ghana CSR Excellence Awards 2016) and CIMG Marketing Woman of the year (2014).

She is on the Board of many distinguished local and international organisations including the International Board for African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Petra Trust Company Ltd, the Business Environment Enabling Programme under the UK Department of International Development (DFID), the Climate Innovation Center Ghana and The Exploratory among others.

She is a founding member of the Executive Women Network, a non-profit organization of women in senior management and executive positions committed to inspiring, empowering and supporting women executives to succeed and become influential both locally and internationally.

–

By:  Vivian Kai Lokko/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Airtel’s MD Lucy Quist resigns ahead of Tigo merger appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A statement from the NCA and copied to Citi Business News,  indicated that the merger will result in an entity which will be the second largest mobile network operations in the country.

The merger, which was first announced in March 2017, required the regulator to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the application and the regulatory ecosystem.

To ensure efficient and equitable distribution and access to the spectrum, the merged entities would have to submit a network integration plan to the Authority which will indicate how they intend to relinquish portions of their total spectrum allocation.

This, however, will be done in phases on geographical area basis and over a period not exceeding eighteen (18) months to avoid disruptions on the network.

On the issue of numbers, the merged entity shall retain all the numbering resources held by the merging entities.

The NCA has also requested the merged entity to submit a plan to educate customers about changes and related measures within 30 days from date of merger.

The merger approval is also conditioned with an option for Government participation.

Based on agreements which have been accepted by the merging entities and the payment of relevant fees, a supplementary agreement to the licenses of the merging entities will be signed between the NCA and the merging entities; the day of the signing of the agreement will be the effective date of the merger.

The merged entity will have a 3G Licence valid until 25th January, 2024, while their 2G Licence will be valid until 30th October, 2021.

The NCA wishes to assure all stakeholders, especially consumers, that their various interests will be protected and that the Authority will endeavor to maintain stability within the industry.

–

By: citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post NCA approves Airtel, Tigo merger appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Airtel Ghana collaborated with Coderdojo, a global network of free computer programming clubs (Dojos) for young people to commence its first Coding session (Coderdojo) in Ghana. Dojos provide fun, free and social open learning environments where young people can meet others with similar interest, develop 21st century skills and build creative projects of their own using digital technology.

About 30 kids were trained by Samuel Polley, country representative for Coderdojo, volunteers from Airtel Ghana and iSpace, which is a technology hub that brings together the tech community, social entrepreneurs and related folks, like bloggers in Ghana. ISpace volunteers were led by the CEO, Josiah Eyison.

In attendance was the Deputy Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon, Hon Vincent Odotei Sowah.

He expressed his appreciation to Airtel Ghana and Coderdojo for reaching out to students in his municipality and was optimistic that it will be extended to other communities to benefit students nationwide.

Commenting on this novelty, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs of Airtel Ghana, Hannah Agbozo said, “The Company’s commitment to ensure that the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is made easy for students remains our topmost priority. This is evidenced by our quest to provide the necessary assistance and support in the form of infrastructure and mentorship sessions to help boost their interest in STEM.”

“Learning the principles of coding and how to code can help these students to become experts in technology and be empowered to use technology to solve societal problems. This is what drives Airtel Ghana’s STEM initiative; to use technology to drive and accelerate the development of Africa,” she concluded.

The Country Representative of Coderdojo, Samuel Polley expressed his optimism that Ghana can become a Technological Hub with initiatives such as Airtel’s Evolve with STEM and Coderdojo which teaches young people coding and programming. He indicated his intentions to extend the initiative to other parts of the country to benefit many more young people.

Airtel Ghana continues to demonstrate commitment towards empowering people through its impactful CSR initiatives such as the School Adoption Programme, Evolve with STEM and Airtel Touching Lives.

–

Source: Airtel Ghana

The post Airtel, Coderdojo trains La Wireless school kids on coding appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The two companies, Millicom International Cellular SA [Tigo], and Bharti Airtel, commenced talks in 2016, but finalized it in 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”mRbqcUZnW8pDxRoBJCK76A1MJejscK2s”]Per the agreement, Millicom and Airtel would have equal ownership and governance rights in the combined entity.

The combined business is expected to serve nearly 10 million customers, of which 5.6 million are data customers.

The move, which is also aimed at providing about 80% of Ghana’s population with high speed data, providing the widest 3G coverage across the country, has revenue of about $300m.

Meanwhile, a statement from the two entities said the transaction is subject to obtaining approval from the relevant authorities in Ghana, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

By integrating the two networks, the combined business is expected to provide Ghanaian customers with a major boost in both rural and urban network coverage –in turn translating into better voice quality, high speed data services and reinforced network stability and resilience.

“With the combined fibre footprint and increased data centres, enterprise customers including both, large corporations and SMEs, would have access to a diverse portfolio of world class solutions. Mobile Financial Services is also expected to be greatly enhanced with combined agent networks and platforms,” the statement added.

The merger is expected to push the new entity to be the second biggest telecom operator in Ghana.

Mohamed Dabbour, Executive Vice President, Millicom Africa at the signing in ceremony said: “In a highly fragmented telecom market, this deal represents a major milestone for our business in Ghana. The combination of Tigo and Airtel will create an operator that will be ableto offer Ghanaian consumers and businesses a state of the art network with high speed mobile data coverage. This transaction underlines confidence in the Ghanaian economy, and provides the opportunity to develop nationwide digital infrastructure and services in Ghana.”

Raghunath Mandava, MD and CEO, Airtel Africa, said: “The agreement highlights our commitment to the Ghana market and our customers. The coming together of the two entities will benefit customers, who can now enjoy an extensive combined network and a wider range of affordable and innovative products and services. It will further strengthen our position in the market and offer huge benefits arising out of synergies in operations, resulting in better experience for the customers.”

–

By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Airtel, Tigo sign agreement to seal merger appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Powered by the company’s superior data services, ‘STEM Clubbers’ from three schools – the La Wireless, Abossey Okai and Mataheko Roman Catholic Schools were connected via Skype to co-create, exchange ideas, knowledge and projects they are working on in their various clubs. The session involved over eighty pupils across JHS 1 – 3.

The STEM Club members were also mentored by a team from Airtel Ghana led by the Company’s CEO, Lucy Quist who encouraged them to be relentless in their pursuit for excellence in whatever they do. The teams demonstrated how technology enables daily activities like communication via mobile phones and introduced participating pupils to the use of Social media platforms such as Skype for educational purposes.

During the session, Airtel Ghana’s Acting Director for Networks, Thelma Quaye, used basic science principles to explain how mobile phone calls are initiated, connected and terminated. She also took participants through a basic course in coding and programming.

The Evolve with STEM initiative was launched in December 2015 to demystify and inspire greater participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Since inception more than 3000 pupils have benefitted from the initiative across four regions.

Speaking at the session, Airtel Ghana’s CEO, Lucy Quist said “STEM is both an enabler and a leveller especially for Africa. To drive the transformation our continent needs, we must empower the minds that will lead that transformation. Since 2015, we have been working with these young people through our Evolve with STEM initiative to inspire and encourage greater participation and adoption of STEM.

Today, harnessing the power of technology, we connected clubs across three schools, encouraged debate, collaboration and shared learning in a truly engaging way.

Today’s session is a clear indication that when our children are empowered and encouraged, they will be better placed to lead the major shift our continent needs”.

She continued “Airtel is committed to enriching lives and empowering young people to fully realise their potential. This is a passion at the heart of our business and we will continue to pursue this well into the future.”

Airtel Ghana’s CSR programme won the Best CSR initiative at the Africa and Global Carrier Awards in 2016.

–

Credit: Airtel Ghana

The post Airtel beefs up Evolve with STEM project appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is the ultimate information security standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) which covers all the information systems, processes, infrastructure, documents and data involved in the creation, processing, storage and/or disposal of information in the day to day delivery of Mobile Financial Services to customers.

This certification also means Airtel Money is fully compliant with directives of the Bank of Ghana to all Mobile Money operators to be ISO certified in accordance with the Electronic Money Issuers (EMI) guidelines.

The certification follows a rigorous and extensive assessment of Airtel Money operations by the British Standard Institution (BSI), a leading global independent evaluator accredited by several world renowned organisations including the American National Standards Institute and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.

Speaking to this latest milestone, Airtel Ghana’s Marketing Director, Rosy Fynn said “The ISO certification is a demonstration of our commitment to provide the most secured, innovative and convenient mobile finance platform in the country.

It is also a re-affirmation of our commitment to comply with the highest international standards as well as the directives of the Bank of Ghana as specified in the EMI guidelines.”

She continued “As a company, we are relentless in our effort to provide customers with the best experience on our network and on the Airtel Money platform. Over the years we have introduced breakthrough innovations to enhance customers’ experience. We introduced Tap N Pay to enable customers pay for goods and services by simply tapping their phones at NFC enabled POS devices, we have partnered with major banks and financial institutions to enable customers fully integrate their bank accounts and Airtel Money wallets in a way that provides absolute convenience giving customers the freedom to transact without limits.”

She continued “For our customers, this certification means that they can transact on Airtel Money with the utmost confidence that their transactions are safe and secured at all times. So if you are not yet on the Airtel Money platform, this is yet another reason to join Ghana’s most secured mobile finance platform.”

The ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management provides organisations with the ability to identify risks and put controls in place to manage or reduce them, it builds trust of customers and all stakeholders including regulators that customers’ data and transactions are secured and protected. ISO certification also demonstrates the commitment of the recipient organisation to comply with global standards in information security.

Airtel Money has consistently led the industry in providing breakthrough innovations and better value for customers.

–

Source: Airtel Ghana

The post Airtel Money secures ISO certification appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.