Case Africa Mobile Networks: Network connections open up the world

What happens when a Nigerian village gets access to a mobile network? We wanted to find out, so we organised a community survey together with our investee Africa Mobile Networks (AMN). The members of local communities were able to share their experiences and tell us how the network connection has impacted the lives of themselves and their families in their own language and anonymously.

“Before the installation of the network we were facing a lot of challenges, no means of communication, no means to communicate with the town for assistance. It is a very important issue for us. The installation of this network has given us a bright light, we can get assistance with health or education. Everyone needs this network. It has assisted us in so many areas. Everything has been pushed up, just because of the network,” says Aminu, a resident of Yebu village, in an interview made after the community survey.  

Nearly all (98%) respondents said that building the telecom towers has brought positive development to the region. Just as many said that the internet connection has positively impacted local businesses (98%) and improved the quality of their daily lives (88%).

“I am a mechanic, and I have been living here for 15 years now. Before the network, we suffered a lot. Before we can call, we had to fuel our motorcycle travelling to a village quite far from us before we can call. Business activity has improved. We use the network to inform clients on transported goods and to get our payments from them,” says Tiamiyu, a resident of Gadaworo village.

Future vision: All communities having access to telecommunication services

AMN builds small solar-powered network base stations in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are typically telecom towers built in the centre of a community with no previous connections. The company collaborates with telecom operators to extend their network coverage deep into rural areas where it would otherwise be unprofitable to do so.
 
In March 2025, AMN was operating more than 4,200 base stations across more than 10 countries in Africa, providing crucial connectivity to 13 million people. AMN plans to increase this to more than 5,000 base stations by the end of 2025. AMN is also currently undergoing an extensive upgrade programme to add 3G and 4G services on base stations using their own mixed access radio node, the ARN.
 
“AMN envisions a future in which all communities of any significant size have access to telecommunication services. We leverage our low-cost base and our experience in rolling out quickly and efficiently to positively impact those living in rural communities across Africa. Our unique business model means that we can connect rural and ultra-rural communities profitably, and this is key to ensuring sustainable development of mobile services,” explains Mike Darcy, the CEO of AMN.

Direct feedback from communities

The aim of the survey was also to gather feedback from the planning and building phase of the towers, how the communities were heard and the functioning of customer service and communications. Both AMN and Finnfund see it as important to receive feedback on whether the towers and access to the internet are primarily seen as positive factors and whether the community members have any questions or issues.
 
Approximately half of the respondents wanted to share some concerns regarding the network connections. Most of them were related to improving the coverage of the network or the 4G connection or other technical questions.
 
“We don’t have many challenges, except sometimes we have network failure, but as soon as we call, they send an engineer to come and take care of it. We’re happy we have this network. We are enjoying the network, seriously. The response from the providers has been very, very good. As soon as we call them, they are always willing and around,” a local resident explains. 

“Not just a service but a lifeline”

“The insights from the social impact survey have been invaluable in shaping our strategy to enhance connectivity in remote rural African villages. By listening to the needs and challenges of these communities, we can prioritise initiatives that drive meaningful change, says Lovemore Amidu, Head of Environmental Management at AMN.
 
“From expanding infrastructure to improving affordability, we are committed to leveraging this feedback to develop sustainable solutions aligned with our ESG principles. This survey reinforces our belief that telecommunication is not just a service but a lifeline that connects individuals to opportunities and a brighter future,” Amidu adds.
 
Since the telecom towers are located at the centre of a village, it is important that the communities want to take care of the towers and their functioning. This protects the towers from thefts and other vandalism. Nearly all (97%) respondents thought that the communities are fully or at least somewhat committed to taking good care of the telecom towers.

An improved and more affordable network connection as the goal

Even though many people have access to a mobile phone, its usability is a challenge in Nigeria just like in many other Sub-Saharan countries: the coverage is usually weak and the price relatively high. Several people, for example, within a family will often share one mobile phone.
 
This was also evident in the responses: nearly all (97%) respondents had access to a mobile phone. Mobile phones are used for communication, financial transactions as well as gathering information regarding education and health. Of the respondents, 74 per cent said that a mobile phone helps them gain income, while 72 per cent said that they use it to sell products or services.
 
Nearly half (47%) of the respondents receive their income mainly from agriculture, approximately one quarter (26%) from an outside workplace and one sixth (16%) from their small business. According to the survey, many use their mobile phones for purposes such as selling their products, following market prices, and checking the weather forecast.
 
“A mobile phone and a functioning network connection enable new business activities and help develop the existing operations. For example, with a network connection, a farmer can use the internet to price and sell their products as well as to gain information about new farming methods and weather forecasts. This helps develop business operations and supports people in adapting to climate change in areas in which it has become commonplace,” explains Finnfund’s Senior Development Impact Advisor Anne Valto.

“A mobile phone and a functioning network connection enable new business activities and help develop the existing operations. For example, with a network connection, a farmer can use the internet to price and sell their products as well as to gain information about new farming methods and weather forecasts. This helps develop business operations and supports people in adapting to climate change in areas in which it has become commonplace.”

Anne Valto, Senior Development Impact Advisor, Finnfund

Network connections may provide a way out of poverty

The aim of the survey was to examine the people’ standard of living in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which helps to understand the impact of network connections on the daily life as well as on the broader social development.
 
Two out of three respondents said they have two proper meals to eat every day, but nearly half said that the availability of food is sometimes insufficient. Likewise, two out of three respondents said they have access to clean drinking water. More than half (61%) of the respondents have access to healthcare. Just under one fifth (18%) of the respondents also said that the family’s children do not attend school. This is usually due to expensive school fees or because the children work with the family in, for example, agriculture.
 
The majority (57%) of the respondents say that they top up their mobile credit daily, which is an indicator of low-income levels. The availability of energy is also a challenge: only approximately 40 per cent of the respondents said they have constant access to electricity.
 
“As a development financier and impact investor, Finnfund sees it as important to understand the operating environment as well as the impact of our investment on the surrounding society and the lives of the local people. With the survey, the community members are able to talk about their daily life and give us feedback directly in their mother tongue and anonymously. It is great to see how the network connections enabled by AMN have brought positive development to the region and improved the lives of people,” says Valto.

Mobile phones enable financial transactions

Nearly two thirds (65%) of the respondents receive some kind of external financial support from relatives, for example. Mobile phones are important for these transactions: nearly half (46%) of transactions are received through mobile payment services. Of the respondents, 94% said that mobile phones help them handle money.
 
This is typical in many Sub-Saharan countries. Electronic payment and transaction systems enable fast and safe financial transactions from abroad as well as within the country, for example, from children or spouses living in cities. These transactions are an important additional source of income for many families. Many still do not have access to traditional banking services: although development has been rapid in the past years, in 2023, only approximately one half of Nigerians had a bank account.
 
“In addition to network connections, it is important to have access to functioning, safe and affordable digital services. In many African countries, there are already great digital solutions available, for example, in banking services, health care and education. Therefore, in addition to digital infrastructure, Finnfund also aims to actively finance the development of services,” explains Portfolio Manager Elina Happonen at Finnfund’s Digital Solutions and Infrastructure team.
 
OP Finnfund Global Impact Fund I has financed the company’s development and growth since 2022. In addition to Nigeria, AMN is active in several of the poorest African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Madagascar. AMN’s long-term goal is to build 10,000 base stations by 2028 in over 20 sub-Saharan countries and to serve a total of 35 million people.
 
“Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 1.3 billion people, one sixth of the global population, 62% of which is classified as rural. It is not only the fastest growing region in the world, but also has the world’s largest population percentage that does not have mobile coverage. We have set out to address this challenge, and we are delighted to do so in partnership with Finnfund,” says Mike Darcy, the CEO of AMN.

Published on 13 May 2025