br br When Sam Darwish invested $1 billion into his telecommunications company, IHS Towers, in 2013, he did so with the aim of improving infrastructure across Africa. br br Now, with a further $850 million of investment proposed for this year, Sam Darwish and IHS Towers are fast-becoming the leading names in African telecommunications. br br When Forbes Africa sat down with Sam Darwish, they found a man with a natural affinity for his adopted home of Lagos. br br From a difficult childhood in war-torn Beirut, through to developing IHS Towers into an international telecommunications giant, Sam Darwish’s life makes for essential reading. br br Also in the magazine: How a bullet in the back helped a man find a fortune; revelations on Africa’s platinum strike; Does Google want to rule the world?; analysis of Indaba Mining; and read about world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather in Africa.