Zamani Telecom hosted Niger’s Minister of Communication and New Information Technologies, Adji Ali Salatou, at its headquarters in Niamey on March 12, 2026, in a clear push to strengthen collaboration and unlock new investment in the country’s telecom sector.
The minister, accompanied by senior ministry officials including Secretary General Mashoul Abdoul Nasser and Deputy Secretary General Ghadfi Mohamed, toured the operator’s facilities, including the Post-06 data center. Discussions focused on operational realities, infrastructure challenges, and practical ways to accelerate digital development in one of the Sahel’s toughest markets.
During the meeting, Zamani Telecom directly called for amendments to Niger’s investment code, arguing that more attractive fiscal and regulatory incentives are urgently needed to draw both local and foreign capital. The operator pointed to its own sharp drop in capital expenditure, from CFA33.8 billion in 2020 down to just CFA8.9 billion in 2024, as evidence of the difficult environment created by intense competition and subscriber pressure in mobile and mobile-internet services.
Minister Salatou described the visit as highly constructive, noting that direct engagements on the ground give policymakers a clearer picture of sector realities and help shape more effective support measures. He reaffirmed the government’s openness to working closely with private operators to advance national connectivity and digital inclusion goals.
Zamani Telecom, which rebranded after its acquisition from Orange in 2019–2020, competes in a four-player market alongside Airtel, Moov Africa, and the struggling state-owned Niger Télécoms, whose market share has shrunk to around 5.24%. Persistent challenges such as limited rural coverage, high infrastructure costs, and security risks in parts of the country make stronger public-private alignment increasingly important.
The March 12 engagement follows earlier talks around a possible merger between Zamani and Niger Télécoms (proposed in 2023 but never completed). This time, the emphasis shifted toward creating a more enabling environment for private investment rather than consolidation.
For Zamani, a friendlier investment code could help fund much-needed upgrades in 4G and 5G coverage, fibre backhaul, mobile money, and enterprise solutions, all critical for supporting Niger’s broader digital economy ambitions.
No immediate policy announcements emerged from the visit, but both sides called the dialogue productive and indicated that further meetings are expected in the coming months. For an operator facing declining capex and stiff competition, the proactive outreach signals a strategic focus on policy advocacy to improve the conditions for long-term investment.
In Niger’s telecom sector, where meaningful progress hinges on aligning government policy with private capital, Zamani Telecom’s engagement with the ministry highlights the growing recognition that sustainable growth will require genuine collaboration and investor-friendly reforms. Whether these talks translate into concrete changes to the investment code will be a key test in the months ahead.
