Globacom is now the exclusive sponsor of CNN International’s weekly half-hour magazine programme, ‘African Voices’.

The sponsorship deal, recently signed between Globacom and CNN, enables the telecoms giant and CNN to showcase successful and high-profile personalities shaping the African continent.

The sponsorship will also project Globacom, which is building Africa’s biggest and best telecommunications network, to CNN’s business and consumer audiences across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and reach millions of online users globally via CNN.com.

‘African Voices’ showcases uniquely personal viewpoints and candid, up-close revelations from international newsmakers who are from the continent.

Through the programme, CNN’s in-region correspondents, Robyn Curnow, Nkepile Mabuse, David McKenzie and Christian Purefoy, along with Atlanta-based Isha Sesay, bring viewers special reports and interviews from the innovators and thought leaders making an impact in Africa and on the global stage in areas such as sports, politics, business and the arts.

Speaking on the partnership, Charles Jenarius, Globacom’s Regional Director of Marketing Communications for West Africa, said ‘African Voices’ offers the network a huge platform to reach its millions of subscribers in the region.

“Globacom is the leading telecoms service company in Nigeria and Benin Republic and is preparing to roll out services in Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire in pursuit of our vision to be the biggest and best telecommunications company in Africa,” he said.

He stated that the Glo 1 submarine cable project is a clear demonstration of Globacom’s resolve to avail Africa the best telecommunication service available in the world. The cable connects Africa to the UK with dedicated extension to the United States of America. It also has branching units in 14 African countries. It will provide unprecedented high speed internet services and make telecom services much faster, more reliable and cheaper for consumers. Glo-1′s current and ultimate capacity is enough to cater to the required broadband capacity of the West African region for at least the next 30 years.

“Being the largest and one of the most credible media organizations in the world, CNN will, through this partnership, collaborate with us in meeting our communication objectives on the continent,” Jenarius explained.

He said the weekly ‘African Voices’ show will feature Glo in the opening and closing billboards and two first-in-break commercials within the show. Additionally, Globacom branding will appear around weekly show vignettes, on online advertising through banner ads at www.cnn.com/africanvoices, and in print in CNN Traveller.

“Globacom is recognized as an innovator in the telecommunications space, a hugely growing sector within Africa,” said Rani R Raad, SVP Advertising Sales, CNN International.

“We are delighted that they have chosen CNN as the media platform to extend their global brand awareness to the CNN audience of business decision makers. We also welcome them to our client portfolio as our first telecom client from Nigeria,” Raad added.