Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt. )on the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to President Obama

9 Oct 2009 16:26 Africa/Lagos

Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt. )on the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to President Obama

MIDDLESEX, Vt., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a comment by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to President Obama:


"It's a stunning announcement and it reflects well on America's ideals and the world's yearning for American leadership.


"Little is possible without leadership. No one can force other nations to follow, but President Obama is reintroducing America to the rest of the world, and people of goodwill everywhere do have hope about working together for progress on some of the world's most daunting and dangerous problems."


Source: Office of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy

CONTACT: David Carle of the Office of Senator Patrick Leahy,
+1-202-224-3693

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Bloomberg is First to Provide Real-Time Nigerian Exchange Data

8 Oct 2009 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Bloomberg is First to Provide Real-Time Nigerian Exchange Data

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The real-time market data feed from the Nigerian Stock Exchange is now available to investors across the globe via the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL® service. With this development, Bloomberg users can access real-time trade reports, orderbook updates and index pricing from the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Bloomberg is the first vendor to carry Nigerian Stock Exchange data in real-time.


"We are excited to have our data available to Bloomberg users, which will boost our international presence and further position The Nigerian Stock Exchange as an investment destination of choice in the global securities market arena", said the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of The Exchange, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke.


"Bloomberg is the first vendor to offer the global distribution of real time data from Nigeria. This addition reinforces Bloomberg's commitment to the emerging markets and to offer the widest possible choice of real-time data and analytical tools for our users," said Gerard Francis, Bloomberg's head of Global Emerging Markets.


About Bloomberg


Bloomberg is the world's most trusted source of information for businesses and professionals. Bloomberg combines innovative technology with unmatched analytic, data, news, display and distribution capabilities, to deliver critical information via the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL® service and multimedia platforms. Bloomberg's media services cover the world with more than 2,200 news and multimedia professionals at 145 bureaus in 68 countries. The BLOOMBERG TELEVISION® 24-hour network reaches more than 200 million homes. BLOOMBERG RADIO® services broadcast via XM, Sirius and WorldSpace satellite radio globally and on WBBR 1130AM in New York. The award-winning monthly BLOOMBERG MARKETS® magazine, the BLOOMBERG.COM® financial news and information Web site and BLOOMBERG PRESS® books provide news and insight to investors. For more information, please visit http://www.bloomberg.com/.


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service and data products are owned and distributed by Bloomberg Finance L.P. (BFLP) except that Bloomberg L.P. and its subsidiaries (BLP) distribute these products in Argentina, Bermuda, China, India, Japan and Korea. BLOOMBERG and BLOOMBERG NEWS are trademarks and service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.


Source: Bloomberg

CONTACT: Angela Martin, +1-212-617-1211, angelamartin@bloomberg.net


Web Site: http://www.bloomberg.com/


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Barack Obama first African American President of the United States has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

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Secretary of State Clinton Remarks at the Corporate Council on Africa's Seventh Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit

2 Oct 2009 18:41 Africa/Lagos

Secretary of State Clinton Remarks at the Corporate Council on Africa's Seventh Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit


WASHINGTON, October 2, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Hillary Rodham Clinton


Secretary of State


Washington Convention Center





Thank you. Well, thank you very much, Stephen, and it is a real pleasure for me to join you today and be part of what has already been a very substantive program. I thank you and the Corporate Council on Africa for your tireless efforts to develop stronger business and trade ties between the United States and the countries of Africa. And I want to also recognize my colleague in the cabinet, the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk, who is a great advocate of increasing economic and trade opportunities as well. (Applause.)





Well, as Stephen said, I had an extraordinary trip in August and was able to visit some places that I had not yet had a chance to travel to, and to go back and see some places that were very familiar. But the point of the trip was to underscore the importance of Africa to the Obama Administration. It is obviously a cause that I personally am committed to, but it is truly a high-level commitment from the entire Administration, because we start from a premise that the future of Africa matters to our own progress and prosperity.





And the Obama Administration has strategies to help spur economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa and create conditions that will improve the lives of the African people, which to us is how you really measure success. We are eager to move beyond stereotypes that paint Africa as a land of poverty, disease, conflict, and not much else. And we will continue to lay a strong foundation for a new kind of engagement with Africa, one that is built on shared responsibility and shared opportunity, and on partnerships that produce measurable, lasting results.


From our perspective, for too long, Africa has been viewed as a charity case instead of a dynamic continent capable of becoming a global economic engine of the 21st century. So it is time to change the narrative. It is time to understand that strengthened trade policies will enable African businesses to tap more effectively into existing markets and create new ones. It is time to recognize that with technology and innovation, African nations can leapfrog dirty stages of development and become more quickly integrated into the global marketplace. It is time to recognize too that the reform of the agricultural sector is essential to Africa's future growth and prosperity, and that investing in people, especially women, will enable Africa to move much more quickly toward the kind of sustainable future that we all are hoping for.


Now, we have a big agenda and we have a very positive vision. But we have to acknowledge that none of this can happen without responsible African leadership, without good government and transparency and accountability, without acceptable of the rule of law, without environmental stewardship and the effective management of resources, without respect for human rights, without an end to corruption as a cancer that eats away at the entrepreneurial spirits and hopes of millions of people. (Applause.)


Now, we know that there are a lot of obstacles to overcome, but we are determined to work with you to achieve the goals that we have set forth. I was delighted that President Kagame was here, because even with the global recession, Rwanda's health indicators are improving, its economy continues to expand, and that is directly traceable to the sound policies that the government has implemented. In – yes, you should give that a round of applause. (Applause.)


In each of the seven countries I visited, I saw examples of activities and investments that are already paying dividends. I saw researchers in Kenya who are modernizing agriculture by creating tools that will enable us to provide new kinds of seeds, fertilizers and equipment to transform rural farming. Young entrepreneurs in South Africa are starting businesses and building open markets that are competitive with counterparts anywhere in the world.


Public and private partners working together in Angola on new models of development assistance; health professionals in the Democratic Republic of Congo risking their own lives to give life back to those dehumanized by violent conflict; members of civil society in Nigeria pressing for electoral reforms and an end to corruption; civil servants in Liberia working to build democratic institutions as the country pieces itself together after years of civil war; and leaders in Cape Verde whose emphasis on good governance and transparency and strengthening democratic institutions has elevated that small nation economically in only a decade.


So across Africa, we know there are opportunities to be seized and we know that there are people who will do the hard work. But what we have to do is to help create the right conditions, and we are focusing on five key areas; first, trade. We are Africa's largest trading partner, and at the AGOA conference in Nairobi, I said the United States would work to maximize the opportunities created by trade preference programs like AGOA. We want to work to build greater trade capacity in Africa, provide assistance to new industries, and we look forward to more bilateral investment treaties like the one we signed with Mauritius during my trip.


But we have to convince African countries to do more trading among themselves, and to break down the barriers at their own borders. (Applause.) It is absolutely clear that if African countries began to trade with one another, they would quickly have more increase in GDP than they could ever imagine by just bilateral agreements with Europe and the United States. So part of our goal must be to persuade our friends – open up your own markets to each other. (Applause.)


Second, development – we're not going to forget the needs that exist, and the Obama Administration has pledged to double foreign assistance by 2014, because we believe development is still a linchpin of global economic progress. But we will pursue a different approach. We are looking to generate concrete and lasting solutions, not long-term dependency that saps the dynamism of a country instead of adding to the potential. (Applause.)





We will focus on country-led plans and market-based investments in areas like food security, infrastructure, and women. We will focus on metrics and accountability, on nations eager to attack corruption and promote good governance. And we will do a better job at integrating development with diplomacy so that we can address the interconnected problems we face.





Now, last week in New York at the United Nations and at the Clinton Global Initiative, I outlined our new initiative to address global hunger and agricultural reform. Food security may seem far removed from the work that some of you do and the investments that you make, but it is so important to Africa. The continent's economy depends on agriculture, and 70 percent of the farmers in Africa are women, who are marginalized, who are ignored, who are not given the help they need to improve agricultural productivity for themselves and have a little left over to take to market to trade and sell.





Revitalizing and modernizing the agricultural sector in Africa is a smart investment for all of us to make, and I invite those of you who have any involvement in agriculture to work with us, to work with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program that provides such a good model. All of the member nations have pledged to devote 10 percent of their national budgets to agricultural development.





Once again, Rwanda is a model. It became the first country to complete its agricultural development plan and it's already showing results. In three years, Rwanda's investment in agriculture has increased fivefold and doubled agricultural GDP.


So food security is not just a question of getting food to hungry people. It is not simply a moral imperative. It represents the convergence of complex issues that have a direct bearing on economic growth. That's why the G8 in Italy pledged $20 billion toward food security. We pledged $3.5 billion for our own initiative over the next three years.


Now, in thinking about food security and agricultural productivity, the lens immediately widens. Because in order to be successful in that sector, we have to modernize and build infrastructure. Not long ago I asked an expert on Africa what the continent needed most. His answer was: “Three things: Roads, roads, and roads.” So we are pursuing strategies to improve infrastructure and provide better access to information, capital, and training.


We also have to emphasize aviation. One speaker at AGOA made the point that it is easier to fly from Nairobi to London or New Delhi to Kinshasa or Abuja than to fly between those African cities. And until we provide more support for safe and functional airports, like we are now doing with the government of Liberia, Angola, and Kenya, we will not maximize economic development.


We are also pursuing Millennium Challenge Corporation compacts with countries in Africa. And just two weeks ago, we signed an agreement with Senegal to provide $540 million to help that country rebuild its transportation and irrigation infrastructure.


The third pillar of our strategy is energy security. Africa is key to the United States and to global energy security, and the number of energy producers is growing. I had very productive meetings in Angola that will result in the creation of bilateral working groups on renewable energy, security issues, agriculture, and food, and we established a Memorandum of Understanding as to how we will pursue those objectives.


I also met with leaders in Nigeria and emphasized our commitment to partnering with Nigeria in areas such as electoral reform, anti-corruption activities, better stewardship of oil revenues, and efforts to build a more diversified economy, as well as the resolution of the conflict in the Niger Delta. I will be reaching out to the energy companies here who do business in the Niger Delta to figure out what we can do to try to resume a more productive outcome for the people of the Niger Delta in the production of energy.


There is no doubt that when one looks at Nigeria, it is such a heartbreaking scene we see. The number of people living in Nigeria is going up. The number of people facing food security and health challenges are going up. Why? Because the revenues have not been well managed. And the consequences of being a large energy producer has not been translated into positive changes for the Nigerian people.


Now, we encourage Nigeria, Angola, and other energy-producing countries to manage their resources and escape the natural resource curse that has plagued much of the continent. We have a new position in the State Department. It's the Coordinator for International Energy Affairs. I have appointed a very experienced expert, David Goldwyn, to work with our partner countries. We will help new producers devise transparent revenue management systems to help them avoid the challenges other countries have faced with large new flows of money from oil, gas, or mining.


And to that end, we are pleased to have contributed $6 million last week to the World Bank's multi-donor trust fund for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. We believe that within the right legal framework Africa can be an enormous market for investment and for economic growth, as well as a secure producer and supplier of energy.


Fourth, we need to build more public-private partnerships. In the 1960s, nearly 70 percent of all money flowing from the United States to the developing world was official development assistance; today, over 80 percent is from private sources.


We want to build on all of the generosity, the talents that are at our disposal – in the government, in the business community, in groups like the CCA, and in civil society. Under the leadership of Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley, who heads our global office for public-private partnerships, we recently announced several new partnerships, including one that will bring together USAID, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Impact Investing Network, and JP Morgan Chase to support the development of social impact investing strategies. We are trying to figure out to do what we do better through government, but how we maximize and do better what we can with the private sector and the not-for-profit sector as well.


And fifth, and perhaps most important, we are stressing good governance, transparency and accountability, ending corruption, and adherence to the rule of law. I don't need to tell this group that although there are so many opportunities for investment, none will succeed unless conditions are favorable for business and investment.


Companies are not going to be attracted to states with failed or weak leadership, crime or civil unrest, or corruption that taints and distorts every transaction and decision, or to countries that violate the rights of their people and, worse, allow violence toward women and girls to be practiced with impunity.


South Africa offers a compelling example of the relationship between good governance and economic development. South Africa emerged from apartheid and engaged its citizenry in the democratic process and is now Africa's economic engine. And as Stephen said, having a South Africa-U.S. Business Council will once again demonstrate how closely we wish to work with our partners in South Africa.


Now, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative is incredibly important, so we are providing technical assistance, we're promoting more effective law enforcement through professional training of officers. And I am pleased that we won passage yesterday of a UN Security Council Resolution on gender and sexual-based violence that will be backed up by action through the UN.


There is so much to be done, but I am so excited about the potential. It's a big world out there, and we could spend time worrying about everywhere, and there are lots of opportunities everywhere. But I remain convinced that no place holds the opportunities of the future like Africa does. But that doesn't mean – (applause) – that we can just expect it to happen. We have to work together.


When I was at the University of Nairobi at a town hall, a great friend of mine and extraordinary environmental and peace advocate and Nobel Peace prize winner, Wangari Maathai, was with me was sitting in the audience, and she said something that has stuck with me that I have repeated across Africa and literally across the world. She said, “Africa is a rich continent. The gods must have been on our side when they created the planet. And yet we are poor.”


It is a painful truth; through colonialism and post-colonialism, the continent's riches have too often gone to the few, not the many. But Africa itself holds an example that I would recommend to all of you – those of you in government and those of you in business – and that is the arrangement in Botswana for the mining and marketing of their diamonds with De Beers.


The Government of Botswana in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, post-independence, was so visionary. The leadership there was so devoted to building a country that would have the advantages that they wanted to see for their people after colonialism had finally ended. So they struck a hard bargain, and they created, essentially, a trust fund where a percentage of the revenues from the diamonds went into that fund, and then that fund was used to pave the roads. And if you've traveled in Botswana, you know that the roads are the best in Sub-Saharan Africa except for South Africa. And we can see the results year after year after year.


I got a letter the other day from the chairman, Mr. Oppenheimer, of De Beers saying, “Thank you for mentioning our relationship with Botswana. It has created a stable, successful environment for us to do business in.” Yes, you could have had short-term profits at the expense of long-term profitability. But instead, a different bargain was struck. I commend that example to all of you. (Applause.)


And let me just finally say that we stand ready to help. We stand ready to help our friends in Africa. We stand ready to help American businesses and corporations. We want to look back after the Obama Administration and be able to say we made a difference in Africa, and we can see the results. (Applause.) This is not only because it's the right thing to do and the smart thing to do; it's very personal to President Obama. He considers himself a son of Africa because of his father's lineage. And he and I talk about how we want to see positive changes, changes that we all know can be made given the intelligence and the work ethic and the extraordinary abilities of the people of Africa. So let's make sure that the governments of Africa are worthy of their people.


Thank you all very much. (Applause.)


Source: US Department of State


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Video: Sheraton Hotel Guests Stay Free as Industry's Most Recognized Brand Celebrates the Culmination of $6 Billion Global Revitalization

30 Sep 2009 14:00 Africa/Lagos

Video: Sheraton Hotel Guests Stay Free as Industry's Most Recognized Brand Celebrates the Culmination of $6 Billion Global Revitalization



Check-in On Us - Thousands of Rooms on the House at 86 hotels New and Newly Renovated Properties Visit sheraton.com/freenight to Register for Your Chance to Stay for Free on October 23rd

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Sheraton Hotels & Resorts wants consumers to see what a difference $6 billion can make so the hotel giant is giving away thousands of free rooms for one night only at 86 hotels throughout North America to celebrate the completion of the brand's multi-billion global revitalization effort. Consumers can visit sheraton.com/freenight on October 6-9 to register for a chance to book a free room on October 23rd at new and newly renovated flagship hotels including the Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Kauai, Sheraton Dallas and Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.



To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sheraton/40288/


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090930/NY84228 )


70,000 New Guestrooms, 300 New Lobbies and 100,000 New Beds Part of Multi-Billion Makeover


As part of a three-year global overhaul, Sheraton has invested more than $4 billion in new hotels, renovations and signature brand initiatives in North America and another $2 billion in new hotels overseas. Highlights include:


-- 70,000 new or newly renovated guestrooms -- 50,000 in North America
alone
-- More than 300 new lobbies featuring the brand's innovative
Link@Sheraton(SM) experienced with Microsoft®
-- More than 100,000 brand new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper all-white, high
thread count beds in 211 hotels and 83,000 guestrooms worldwide

-- 98 renovated properties, nearly half of Sheraton's North American
portfolio, including high profile gateway properties like the Sheraton
Denver, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers and Sheraton
Montreal and Sheraton Waikiki.

Global Powerhouse Boasts Highest Brand Awareness in the Industry


As Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc's (NYSE:HOT) largest and most global brand, Sheraton boasts more than 400 hotels in 70 countries with a global brand awareness among business travelers at 92%, the highest global awareness of any hotel brand in the world. Making up more than 44% of Starwood's total rooms, Sheraton is a key focus for Starwood, especially as the company aggressively prepares to own the upswing as the economy recovers. As yesterday's staycations, canceled meetings and postponed business trips become tomorrow's pent up demand, travelers will return to the road and find the newest portfolio in the Sheraton brand's history. In fact, 60% of Starwood properties - including all nine brands - will be brand new or freshly renovated by the end of 2009.


"We have spent the last few years renovating and rebuilding one of the hotel industry's most iconic brands and as the economy begins to recover Sheraton is in an enviable position, poised to come out of the gate fast and leverage our new flagship hotels, renovated properties and signature brand offerings," said Frits van Paasschen, Starwood CEO. "When travelers return to the road en masse, Sheraton will be ready."


Revitalization Plan already Bearing Fruit as Guest Satisfaction Scores Reach Historic Highs


Sheraton Hotel's efforts to revitalize the brand kicked off in 2007, and as the impact of these efforts take hold in hotels worldwide, the brand is beginning to reap rewards and measurable success, including:


-- Sheraton Guest Satisfaction scores are the highest in its history,
with overall satisfaction at 8.12 out of 10, year-to-date, surpassing
the brand's own goal. Likelihood to return to the brand has increased
from 7.89 to 8.78 and Meeting Planner Satisfaction scores are also at
an all time high.
-- Sheraton has opened 57 new hotels worldwide since 2007 with 10 more
slated to open by the end of the year -- more than any other Starwood
brand
-- In addition, Sheraton has removed more than 38 hotels worldwide
including 24 in North America that could not meet the brand's new
standards. 4 more will exit the brand by the end of the year.

-- Over the next three months, Sheraton will mark the completion of a
$500 million investment in renovations to existing properties,
including multi-million dollar efforts at the Sheraton Denver,
Sheraton Dallas and Sheraton Montreal, as well as the
highly-anticipated November opening of Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention
Center Hotel & Casino, a $210 million, 503-room property that will be
the first new full-service hotel and casino built in San Juan in more
than 10 years.


Seeing is Believing -- Thousands of Travel Pros to Attend Sheraton Open House Events


In addition to giving away thousands of room nights to showcase its recently renovated and new properties, the brand will host a three-day open house for meeting planners, corporate travel buyers, social event planners and other travel influencers, September 29-October 1. The event will spotlight a selection of Sheraton Hotels "best in class" hotels, including: Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Sheraton Denver Hotel, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.


Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood's robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.


About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts


Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in 75 countries around the world. It is owned by and is the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 960 properties in 97 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.


Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sheraton/40288
Source: Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

CONTACT: Nadeen Ayala of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, +1-914-640-8259; or
Julie Horn of Dan Klores Communications, +1-212-981-5221


Web Site: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/


Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/443150.html

MTN Nigeria 419?

MTN NIGERIA 419?

Have you won a prize on the several MTN promos?

Did you get your prize?

MTN Nigeria is the biggest GSM company in Nigeria, but how honest and transparent is the company when many winners of their recent Big Score Promo have been disappointed when they could not be given their prizes? Many notified winners who were received calls from MTN call centre number 180 went to the MTN Customer Care Centre on Aromire Street in Ikoyi, Lagos, but were given stupid excuses for failing to claim their prizes. Many winners were simply told that their names were not seen on the list or they should return and when they returned, they were still denied their prizes. Whistleblowers say that some shameless MTN staff have been claiming the prizes of the winners.

Happy 49th Independence Anniversary to all Nigerians

Happy 49th Independence Anniversary to all Nigerians.

Happy Otober 1!

We must keep faith with our destiny as one nation under one God and continue to do our best for Nigeria. God will help us in the nation building of a New Nigeria of a good people and a great nation.

What we believe is what we shall achieve.
Therefore, let us believe in the best and greatest things in human civilization.

God bless Nigeria.

MTN Partners With IMImobile in a Major Deal to Bring Mobile and Online Content to 103 Million Users

1 Oct 2009 14:08 Africa/Lagos


MTN Partners With IMImobile in a Major Deal to Bring Mobile and Online Content to 103 Million Users

JOHANNESBURG, October 1/PRNewswire/ -- Millions of mobile and online content users across Africa and the Middle East will reap the benefits of a landmark tie-up between MTN and IMImobile - an India-based software and managed services provider linked to 350 content providers worldwide.


The two companies have teamed up in a bold move to address the growing demand for content in emerging markets. This strategic partnership will entail providing MTN's 21 markets access to a repository of current and globally popular content through enhanced delivery platforms. Content categories will include music (with local and international flavour), sports, games, entertainment, news and much more.


It will also enable MTN to launch new income-generating voice and data services across its global footprint, with revenues from mobile content and services estimated at around US$150.2 billion in 2011, up from US$89.3 billion in 2006, worldwide.


One of MTN's new content streams will be the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) of which the mobile operator has exclusive global mobile content rights. Accordingly, MTN will leverage its IMImobile partnership to deliver exclusive 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) content on subscribers' handsets, including soccer match news, fixtures, match results as well as team and group profiles.


The appointment of IMImobile as a strategic managed services and hosting partner follows an extensive review of MTN's mobile content and media services landscape across its global footprint.


MTN is now aligning its mobile content and media services strategy across its 21 markets in Africa and the Middle East to standardize and enhance its media content offerings to its subscribers.


MTN also wants to capitalize on the rapidly converging data content and voice market, with Africa, the Middle East and Latin America poised to witness the highest growth in revenue as additional mobile data services are being deployed in these regions.


Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN Group Corporate Affairs Executive, says IMImobile was selected from a group of major global telecom software and service providers because of the scalability of its technology platforms and proven managed services business model.


"IMImobile's value proposition and technology solutions will enable MTN to reduce the time-to-market for new services, boost Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and keep MTN at the forefront of innovative services.


"We have found a partner in IMImobile that has the insight and expertise of the appropriate managed service business model and technology solution necessary to continue to deliver premium content and services to our customers," said January-Bardill.


MTN has already introduced a number of exciting products and services on its portal and on www.mtnfootball.com during the FIFA Confederations Cup in June this year. This content is currently being archived to allow football fans to re-live the moment long after the games.


IMI mobile will deploy its Service Delivery Platform (SDP), including its industry leading DaVinci Content Management System (CMS). The content strategy includes tailoring content for local consumer preferences, including French and Arabic as well as exploiting MTN's sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) through http://www.mtnfootball.com.


Vishwanath Alluri, Founder and CEO of IMImobile said: "This is a major commercial milestone for IMImobile as we continue to build our offering to support leading operators worldwide. To be chosen by MTN as their strategic partner ahead of a strong list of competitors is testament to our unique service which is based on industry leading technology platforms, content management expertise, a managed services and SaaS business model combined with 24/7 technical support and strict SLA compliance. We are excited by the opportunity and are looking forward to helping MTN achieve its objectives of creating substantial additional revenue streams."


Issued by MTN Group Corporate Affairs


ABOUT THE MTN GROUP


Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: "MTN". As at 30 June 2009, MTN recorded 103,2 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The MTN Group is a global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM) and has exclusive mobile content rights for Africa and the Middle East. Visit http://www.mtn.com and http://www.mtnfootball.com.


ABOUT IMImobile


IMImobile is a leading provider of converged mobile and online technology platforms and content services to mobile operators and media companies around the world. The IMImobile product portfolio includes a core service delivery platform (DaVinci SDP), mobile advertising platform (Ad-Ring(TM)), carrier grade messaging platforms and gateways, applications for data services, full track music download services and voice platforms. Customers include leading operators and media companies such as Airtel, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Google, Reuters and Yahoo!. IMImobile is a profitable fast growing company with operations in 40 countries and offices in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. For more information, visit http://www.imimobile.com


Note to Editors:


The 16 countries IMImobile will be deploying its full CMS across are: Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic Conakry, Liberia, Afghanistan, Syria, Cyprus and Yemen.


IMImobile will directly connect its central platform in London to the existing CMS platforms of the following 5 countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Iran and Sudan


Source: IMImobile

IMImobile contacts: Eleanor Filgate or K Simon at Babel PR, T. +44(0)20-7434-5550, M. +44-7500-038-458, E. imimobile@babelpr.com, W. http://www.babelpr.com. MTN Group contacts: Maphamola Lebelo, MTN Group Communications, Mobile: +27-83-212-9918, Email: Lebelo_m@mtn.co.za

Consolidation in AME's Mobile Market Will Continue for Next Several Years, Finds Pyramid

29 Sep 2009 20:46 Africa/Lagos

Consolidation in AME's Mobile Market Will Continue for Next Several Years, Finds Pyramid

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- In-country consolidation in the mobile market has already begun in Africa and the Middle East and will become a more important trend over the next few years, pushing incumbents to find new ways to protect their customer base, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com), the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (www.lightreading.com).


Three Is Company, Four Is a Crowd: Mobile Players Proliferate in AME examines the factors that we expect will drive consolidation over the coming years. We start by recapping the dynamics behind the increasing numbers of licenses and operators. The 17-page report then examines the degree of success of third, fourth, and fifth entrants in terms of subscription market share. A look at some of the successful strategies which incumbent operators are adopting to protect their customer base follows. Finally we examine the first case of in-country consolidation - and its likely implications for African mobile operators. Download an excerpt of this report here: http://www.pyramidresearch.com/downloads.htm?id=5&sc=PR092909_INAME1.7


Competition in mobile markets across Africa and the Middle East will intensify as new licenses continue to be made available in Africa, even though many late entrants struggle to establish a sustainable business where three or more networks are already in operation, notes Dearbhla McHenry, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. "Although third entrants in Africa and the Middle East have gained as much as 37 percent of their markets within three years, the picture for fourth and fifth operators is gloomier: our analysis suggests that market shares of 8.7 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively, are more realistic targets," she adds.


"Several factors determine whether a late entrant to a mobile market in Africa and the Middle East will overcome the odds and gain significant market share, as explained in this report," says McHenry. "It is often the case that operators entering a market where another operator has recently launched will tend to find it difficult to establish an additional brand," she explains. The region's leading operators, however, are getting better at reducing churn and increasing loyalty. "International and regional operators, in particular, have an advantage in being able to implement best practices learned overseas - MTN, for instance, has experienced growing competition in many of its markets, has maintained a strong position, for instance in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria," says McHenry.


At the end of July 2009, one of the first in-country mergers in the region took place in Sierra Leone. Market leader Africell agreed to buy Millicom-owned operator Tigo for an undisclosed sum. "We believe that this event may signal the start of a new trend, since several other operators look similarly vulnerable to acquisition," says McHenry. "As a result, we believe in-country consolidation, as well as operators exiting markets, will be an increasingly common event over the coming five years," she adds.


Three Is Company, Four Is a Crowd: Mobile Players Proliferate in AME is part of Pyramid Research's Africa and the Middle East Telecom Insider report series. This report is priced at $595 and can be purchased online here: http://www.pyramidresearch.com/store/ins_ame_090925.htm?sc=PR092909_INAME1.7 or by contacting Amalia Vega via email at avega@pyr.com.


For more information about Pyramid Research's products and services, please visit www.pyr.com or contact us at info@pyr.com.


About Pyramid Research


Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com) offers practical solutions to the complex demands our clients face in the telecommunications, media and technology industries. Our analysis is uniquely positioned at the intersection of emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models, powered by the bottom-up methodology of our market forecasts for over 100 countries - a distinction that has remained unmatched for more than 25 years. As the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network, Pyramid Research works with Heavy Reading, providing the communications industry's most comprehensive market data, trusted research and insightful technology analysis.


About Light Reading


Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.


About TechWeb


TechWeb (http://techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events, Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services including next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.


*13.3 million business decision-makers: based on number of monthly connections


About United Business Media Limited


UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated events, online, print, and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/.


Press contact:
Jennifer Baker
+1 617 871-1910
jbaker@pyr.com


Source: Pyramid Research

CONTACT: Jennifer Baker, Pyramid Research, +1-617-871-1910,
jbaker@pyr.com


Web Site: http://www.pyr.com/