MTN era ends as Guinea assumes 100% ownership of Areeba
On Techpoint Digest, we discuss Guinea's full control of Areeba following MTN's exit, why Nigerian startups always end up selling airtime, and why Kenyan riders are turning against Spiro.
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Bună ziua,<br />
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Victoria from Techpoint here,<br />
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Here’s what I’ve got for you today:<br />
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Guinea takes full control of Areeba after MTN exit<br />
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Why Nigerian startups always end up selling airtime<br />
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Kenyan riders are turning on Spiro<br />
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Guinea takes full control of Areeba after MTN exit<br />
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Guinea has officially taken full control of Areeba Guinée. A presidential decree signed by military leader Mamadi Doumbouya confirms that the state now owns 100% of the telecoms operator after buying out the remaining shares previously held by MTN Group. The announcement was read on state TV on last Thursday night, making the takeover formal and final.<br />
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What this means is simple: Areeba is now a state-owned telecoms company, with full public ownership and voting rights resting with the government. A second decree also approved new statutes for the company, turning it into a public limited firm with a board of directors and operational autonomy. In other words, Areeba can now run as a proper commercial entity, just under state control.<br />
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How did we get here? MTN’s exit from Guinea has been a long, tense process. The South African telecoms group had faced regulatory disputes, fines, and pressure from authorities for years. In 2017, MTN Guinea was rebranded to Areeba after MTN sold a majority stake, but the state gradually tightened its grip. By December 2024, the government had already acquired MTN’s shares, keeping Areeba running under an interim arrangement until a final decision was made.<br />
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This full takeover also raises questions about Guinea Telecom, the state-backed operator meant to replace the defunct SOTELGUI monopoly. That project has suffered repeated delays, pushed from 2023 to 2024 and then to 2025, largely due to ageing infrastructure and funding challenges. With Areeba now fully operational and state-owned, officials have not said whether Guinea Telecom will still launch or be merged into Areeba instead.<br />
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For now, the government has options. It could fold Guinea Telecom into Areeba, copy mo...
