Sam Darwish

Sam Darwish
OccupationBusinessman

Sam Darwish[1] is a U.S.[2] entrepreneur active in the telecommunications industry.[3][4][5] He is the founder, Chairman and CEO of IHS Towers, which operates approximately 37,000 towers across Africa and Latin America[6], and is listed on the NYSE in October 2021.[7][8][9]

Early life and education

Darwish was brought up and educated in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.[10]

Business career

He began his professional career in 1992, in Beirut, after joining MCI as an executive.[4] At the time, the company was one of the world's largest telecoms carriers. He then joined Libancell, now known as MTC Touch, where he assumed a leading role in establishing the first Lebanese mobile network.[11] Subsequently, in 1998, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Motophone, Nigeria's first GSM operator.[11]

Following the Nigerian government's 2001 plan to privatize its telecommunications industry, he set up a mobile infrastructure company, IHS Towers, which he has led since then.[12][13] Under his tenure as CEO, the company has been named one of the largest equity fundraisers in Africa, as well as one of the overall largest fundraisers of the past decade.[14][15]

Under his leadership, IHS Towers became a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2021, and regarded as the largest IPO of a firm of African heritage to list on the Exchange.[16]

In 2015, he was nominated Business Leader of the Year for West Africa as part of the All Africa Business Leaders Awards in collaboration with CNBC Africa.[17][18] In 2016, he won the award for his founding and continued leadership of IHS Towers.[19][20]

Since 2017, the company has championed and delivered a number of community focused sustainability projects. In 2021, Darwish was instrumental in the launch of IHS’ Frontline Workers Initiative, funding university education for children of its frontline workers. Since 2023, the company has been working with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to support its Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Initiative[21], empowering people with critical digital skills.The company has also been recognised for its focus on rural connectivity in Brazil and, in October 2025, collaborated with Claro, Vivo and TIM, to bring connectivity to rural Ilha do Combu in Belém.[22]

Other ventures

Darwish has founded additional businesses in the US and is the founder and President of Singularity Investments, Dar Properties and Dar Telecom.[23]

Darwish has been involved in setting up incubator programs for aspiring tech entrepreneurs in Lagos and oversees local community projects throughout the emerging markets.[10] He has been a financier behind the establishment of educational facilities in underserved areas throughout Africa.[12]

In September 2015, he served on an entrepreneur judging panel for She Leads Africa, a venture which invests in promising women entrepreneurs from across the continent.[24][25]

Darwish is a Trustee of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation[26] and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. He is also a member of the Navy SEAL Legacy Foundation National Advisory Committee.[27]

References

  1. ^ Osmotherly, Kieron, ed. (November 2017). "The strategic vision of EMEA's largest independent towerco" (PDF). TowerXchange (21): 253.
  2. ^ Flanagan, Ben (May 25, 2019). "INTERVIEW: Sam Darwish, Group CEO at IHS Towers - the accidental engineer who found his calling". Arab News.
  3. ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "Nigerian Multi-Millionaire Tycoon Issam Darwish Raises $2.6 Billion For Telecom Towers", Forbes, 3 November 2014. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Sam Darwish", Bloomberg [profile]. Accessed 9 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Sam Darwish, IHS Towers Founder". LinkedIn. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Dux, Simon (2026-02-06). "MTN considers $2.7bn buyout of IHS Towers in strategic reversal". Mobile Europe. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  7. ^ "The Global Advisory Council". Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  8. ^ Smith, Matt. "Africa phone tower firm IHS raises $2.6 billion", Reuters, November 3, 2014. Accessed 27 July 2015.
  9. ^ "African mobile mast operator IHS Towers seeks valuation of more than $7bn". Financial Times. October 4, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Darwish, Issam. Interviewed by Owolawi, Abisola. "Bus or Food? The First Crossroad on the Path to Being a Millionaire" Archived 2022-12-03 at the Wayback Machine [pdf], Forbes Africa, March 2014. Accessed 27 July 2015.
  11. ^ a b Clémençot, Julien. "Issam Darwish a plus d’une tour dans son sac", Jeune Afrique, 24 September 2014. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  12. ^ a b Darwish, Issam. Interviewed by Landon, Claire. "Q&A: Issam Darwish, IHS Towers co-founder", Telecom Finance, December 2015. Accessed 13 January 2016.
  13. ^ Rice, Xan. "IHS: Local knowledge is important in fulfilling towering ambitions", The Financial Times, 27 November 2012. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  14. ^ Thomas, Daniel; Blas, Javier. "IHS in biggest African fund raising since crisis", Forbes, 2 November 2014. Accessed 4 September 2015.
  15. ^ "IHS CEO Issam Darwish talks towers", TMT Finance, 26 November 2015. Accessed 13 January 2016.
  16. ^ "IHS gets $7bn valuation in New York". The African Business. October 25, 2021.
  17. ^ "AABLA: All Africa Business Leaders Awards" Archived 2017-06-30 at the Wayback Machine, All Africa Business Leaders Awards. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  18. ^ "2015 All Africa Business Leaders Awards: The nominees are…", My TV News, 7 September 2015. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  19. ^ "IHS Towers CEO wins AABLA award". The Guardian. October 26, 2016.
  20. ^ "The COVID-19 Crisis Taught Us That Whilst The World Could Survive With Less Planes, Cars and Trains, It Couldn't Survive Without The Phone!". Forbes Africa. February 15, 2022.
  21. ^ Release, Press (2026-02-08). "Transforming lives: How IHS's CSR projects are impacting Nigerian communities". TheCable. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  22. ^ "IHS Brazil, Claro, Vivo and TIM install shared tower in Combu - Developing Telecoms". developingtelecoms.com. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  23. ^ "Africa", Singularity Invest. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  24. ^ Adebiyi, Deola. "Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Joins She Leads Africa for Live Entrepreneur Showcase", The Guardian, 21 September 2015. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  25. ^ "How two young West African women are creating Africa's next billionaires" Archived 2017-06-27 at the Wayback Machine, CNBC Africa, 9 March 2015. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Board of Trustees". George & Barbara Bush Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  27. ^ "Home". www.seallegacy.org. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
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