IHS Towers is reorganising sections of its African tower network as it prepares for MTN Group's anticipated $2.2 billion acquisition.
The company is replacing shaky tenancy arrangements with structured debt-recovery agreements while streamlining operations in key markets.
MTN Group already owns approximately 24.7% of IHS and is seeking to acquire the remaining shares through a cash merger, valuing IHS Towers at over $6.2 billion, according to company records.
The tower operator, whose business is based on leasing space on telecom towers to mobile network providers, announced in its most recent financial report that it has begun allowing financially challenged tenants to leave tower sites in exchange for written repayment agreements on outstanding bills.
According to the business, the move is intended to stabilise cash flow and limit vulnerability to volatile rental income prior to the anticipated ownership shift.
One of the more noteworthy restructurings involves 9mobile, which currently goes by the name T2 Mobile. Under the terms of the agreement, the operator agreed to evacuate 2,576 tower sites in Nigeria while repaying IHS's historic debt until July 2027.
The specific amount involved was not disclosed, although IHS's financial reports showed $4.2 billion in gross debt.
Chief Executive Sam Darwish stated that the planned sale to MTN is "the next step in our long-standing partnership," bringing together Africa's leading mobile network operator and one of the continent's top digital infrastructure providers.
Along with tenant reorganisation, IHS has also reduced its geographic reach. The company finished 2025 with 37,590 towers, a decrease from the previous year due mostly to the selling of its assets in Rwanda, which accounted for 1,467 towers.
Despite these changes, the underlying need for infrastructure remains high. During the year, IHS installed 580 new tower sites and completed 4,328 lease amendments, which frequently included 5G equipment installations, energy systems, and increased network capacity.
With mobile data usage quickly increasing across Africa, the operational cleansing enables IHS to provide a leaner and more predictable asset base as the MTN transaction proceeds.
Share
