Telecom
From Few Subscribers to 92m: The Remarkable 25-Year Journey of MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria has commemorated 25 years of operations in the country, highlighting its growth from a relatively small telecommunications operator to one of Nigeria’s largest digital connectivity and services providers.
The company marked the milestone with the launch of the Y’ello Street Museum, an exhibition showcasing MTN Nigeria’s journey, milestones, innovations and contributions to Nigeria’s telecommunications industry since its entry into the country.
Speaking at a press conference after the exhibition, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Modupe Kadri, alongside the Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, Ugonwa Nwoye, and Chief Digital Officer, A’isha Mumuni, reflected on the company’s 25-year journey and its plans for the future.
Kadri said the company’s growth had been driven significantly by its customers, who had remained with the network and provided feedback that helped shape its products and services.
“For our customers, we want to say thank you,” he said, noting that some customers had been with the company since its launch 25 years ago.
He said the company had witnessed significant changes in the telecommunications landscape since its inception, with customers playing an important role in its evolution.
According to him, MTN Nigeria’s customer base has grown from a limited number at inception to about 92 million subscribers, reflecting the expansion of telecommunications services and digital connectivity across the country.
Kadri said the company had consistently invested in network planning and optimisation to accommodate the growing demand for telecommunications services and remain competitive.
He explained that MTN uses various tools to forecast demand and identify emerging opportunities across the market, stressing that network planning and optimisation was undertaken continuously.
“Network planning and optimisation is something that we do every year. We have tools that allow us to forecast and tools that allow us to look for new areas of opportunity in our market,” he said.
Kadri said the strategy had enabled the company to sustain its leadership position despite the increasing competition in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
He also disclosed that MTN Nigeria had invested about ₦1.6 trillion in capital expenditure over the last 18 months, underscoring the company’s commitment to expanding and improving its infrastructure.
He said the investments were aimed at strengthening the company’s network and supporting the increasing demand for connectivity and digital services.
On the company’s contribution to government revenue, Kadri said MTN Nigeria had also continued to meet its tax and regulatory obligations.
He said the company had paid almost ₦120 billion in taxes and levies, while noting that about 2.5 per cent of the company’s revenue goes toward operating licence obligations.
The CFO said MTN Nigeria’s expansion had also extended beyond traditional telecommunications services into fintech and digital services.
He attributed the development of the company’s fintech business partly to changes in the regulatory environment, which had gradually created greater opportunities for telecommunications operators to participate in the digital financial services ecosystem.
Kadri said MTN would continue to explore opportunities in fintech and digital services as part of its broader strategy.
On the future of telecommunications and emerging technologies, Mumuni said MTN Nigeria was focused on leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operational efficiency and customer experience.
She said the company’s approach to technology was driven primarily by the needs and ambitions of its customers.
According to her, Nigerians are increasingly technology-savvy and expect better services, making it necessary for MTN to continuously evolve its network, products and digital platforms.
She said AI could help the company improve its understanding of customers, strengthen segmentation and targeting, and develop solutions that better respond to changing customer behaviour.
Mumuni said technology had evolved significantly over the past 25 years and would continue to advance as individuals and businesses sought more efficient ways to work, communicate and interact.
“Our job is to always be at the forefront of technology to ensure that we are able, at any point in time, to provide our customers with the right levels of experience,” she said.
On device accessibility, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka said MTN was expanding its partnerships with device manufacturers to improve access to smartphones and other digital devices across Nigeria.
She noted that the size of Nigeria’s population and its 36 states presented a significant opportunity for wider digital inclusion, but affordability and availability of devices remained important barriers.
She said MTN was therefore working with partners to expand the availability of devices beyond major urban centres.
“We recognise that the opportunity lies across the 36 states of the country. In doing that, we see some significant progress and it is something that we are committed to as an organisation,” she said.
The executive said the company’s device strategy was designed to support greater access to digital services and ensure that more Nigerians could participate in the digital economy.
The company also highlighted its continued focus on expanding connectivity infrastructure, including fibre and 5G services, as part of efforts to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses.
The 25th anniversary celebration provides MTN Nigeria an opportunity to reflect on its transformation from a new entrant into Nigeria’s telecommunications market to a major player in the country’s digital ecosystem.
The company said its focus going forward would remain on connectivity, digital services, fintech, emerging technologies and customer experience as it seeks to support the evolving needs of Nigerians.
The Y’ello Street Museum, which formed part of the anniversary activities, offered visitors an opportunity to trace the company’s history and the technological transformation of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector over the past 25 years.
Nigeria is partnering with Burkina Faso on Project Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), to extend terrestrial fiber-optic routes through Niger and Benin, aiming to cut Burkina Faso’s internet transit costs by up to 50 percent.
Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Dr. Aminata Zerbo-Sabané, his Burkinabe counterpart, have sealed a deal to establish a joint technical committee for regional digital integration at a meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital.
At the centre of the discussions was BRIDGE, Nigeria’s connectivity initiative aimed at expanding access to faster, more affordable and resilient internet infrastructure.
Under the proposed collaboration, technical teams from both countries will assess connectivity routes linking Nigeria to Burkina Faso through Nigeria-Niger-Burkina Faso and Nigeria-Benin-Burkina Faso corridors.
The assessment is expected to identify a viable pathway for lowering Burkina Faso’s internet connectivity costs by up to half.
The two countries also agreed to establish a Technical Working Committee to develop an implementation framework for the partnership.
The cooperation will extend beyond fibre infrastructure to other areas of the digital economy.
Nigeria and Burkina Faso plan to explore collaboration on digital skills and talent development, including the potential sharing of Nigeria’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) model.
The countries will also seek to strengthen ties between their startup ecosystems, support Burkina Faso’s Innovation Campus and collaborate on artificial intelligence, local-language technologies, shared computing infrastructure, cybersecurity and research.
Tijani said the engagement forms part of Nigeria’s broader outreach to neighbouring countries, following a recent visit to Benin Republic, with planned engagements in Niger and Chad.
Federal government said the broader objective is to leverage the country’s expanding digital infrastructure and capabilities to support shared economic opportunities across borders, strengthen regional digital integration and position Nigeria as a digital gateway connecting West Africa and the Sahel.
As the federal government is thinking os helping Burkina Faso, Nigeria’s internet cost is too high.
The cost of internet in Nigeria is driven by a 50% tariff floor increase approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), pushing average mobile data to over ₦431 per GB.
Major telecom networks, fiber providers, and satellite services like Starlink have raised prices due to severe inflation, local currency devaluation, and expensive diesel maintenance for cell towers.
Airtel Nigeria is approaching the 18,000-cell-site mark as the telecommunications operator accelerates network deployment across the country, adding more than 1,000 new sites annually and extending high-speed mobile connectivity deeper into rural communities.
The expansion places Airtel as an operator making one of the largest sustained infrastructure commitments to Nigeria’s digital economy, with the company’s network now spanning all 774 Local Government Areas in the country.
More than 99 percent of Airtel Nigeria’s sites are 4G-enabled, with the company continuing to add new capacity and upgrade existing infrastructure as demand for mobile connectivity rises. Airtel Africa’s latest annual report said the Nigerian operation added more than 1,050 new sites during its 2025-26 financial year.
The pace represents a significant increase from the approximately 15,000 sites Airtel operated two years ago. By early 2026, the operator had crossed 17,000 sites, after adding about 2,000 sites in two years.
The current expansion has also taken the network further into locations that have historically been underserved by telecommunications infrastructure. These communities include Kukawa, Borno State; Okomu-Udo, Edo State; Chimbi, Niger State; Orile Ijaiye, Oyo State; Kopii, Benue State; and Aran-Orin, Kwara; among others.
Airtel has previously said a significant portion of its network investments is targeted at deep rural communities, small towns and the fringes of major cities. At a media roundtable in February, Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh, said the company intended to maintain the large scale of network expansion during 2026.
“Everyone has the right to digital connectivity, including people in deep rural markets and small communities,” Balsingh said.
The impact of the growth extends beyond the ability to make calls or browse the internet. Wider network availability gives families more reliable access to one another, enables businesses to communicate with customers and suppliers, and supports access to digital banking, education, healthcare and government services.
For farmers in remote areas, mobile connectivity can provide access to current crop prices, weather information, market information and agricultural advisory services. For small businesses, reliable mobile data supports payments, customer acquisition, logistics and digital commerce. For communities, connectivity can improve access to health and social services and help residents participate more fully in the digital economy.
Airtel’s network strategy is also increasingly focused on improving the experience delivered through the infrastructure already in place. In 2025, the company upgraded capacity on about a quarter of its existing sites, deploying higher-capacity radios and moving portions of its backhaul from microwave to fibre.
The operator has also reported a continued addition of spectrum to strengthen its spectrum position. Since November 2025, it has added 20MHz spectrum, which is on track for full integration on all sites this quarter.
Balsingh said the company’s investment programme was designed to improve coverage, capacity and resilience, with the benefits ultimately reflected in the quality of service experienced by customers.
“We have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide. Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved communities,” he said.
Third-party measurements have also continued to provide evidence of changing network performance in Nigeria. Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, for example, reported a median mobile download speed of 97.74 Mbps for Nigeria in June 2026.
For Airtel, the network expansion not only extends the geographical footprint; but also increases the speed, capacity and stability available to existing customers.
Director of Marketing, Ismail Adeshina, said the company’s network investments were ultimately aimed at making connectivity more useful in the everyday lives of Nigerians, as increasing numbers of consumers, families and businesses depend on mobile services for communication, commerce and access to essential services.
Airtel’s infrastructure programme is also contributing to the wider development of Nigeria’s digital economy.
“With mobile connectivity increasingly serving as the platform for financial services, commerce, education, healthcare, agriculture and enterprise, expanding the physical network effectively increases the number of Nigerians able to participate in those activities,” Adeshina said.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is calling for a unified, cross-sector push to translate the framework of the Nigerian Startup Act (NSA) into practical benefits for local entrepreneurs and investors.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, represented by the National Coordinator, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Ms Victoria Fabunmi, in a group photograph with participants from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the Nigerian Startup Act (NSA) Incentives Activation Co-Creation Workshop in Abuja.
Speaking at the NSA Incentives Activation Co-Creation Session in Abuja, organised by NITDA’s subsidiary, the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), the NITDA boss stressed that while enacting the legislation was a historic milestone, its ultimate success will be measured by its tangible impact on everyday tech ventures.
Delivering remarks on behalf of NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa, ONDI National Coordinator Victoria Fabunmi emphasised that Nigeria must now transition from policy design to operational delivery.
Inuwa noted that while early structural achievements such as setting up the Startup Consultative Forum and launching the digital startup portal have established vital channels for dialogue, the true test of the law lies in whether founders can easily access the relief and resources promised to them.
He said the establishment of the Startup Consultative Forum and its governance structures had created an important platform for sustained engagement among stakeholders, but stressed that the real test of the legislation would be its impact on businesses operating within the innovation ecosystem.
According to him, government agencies, private-sector actors and other ecosystem stakeholders must work collectively to remove institutional bottlenecks and ensure that startups can access the opportunities created by the Act.
Inuwa said the participating institutions possessed different mandates, resources and policy instruments that, if properly coordinated, could significantly improve the operating environment for Nigerian startups.
“We want to go to the next level. We want to be able to say that the actors in our ecosystem have been able to benefit significantly from the legislation that has been passed, and it wouldn’t happen without everyone sitting in this room,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to shift attention from the mere existence of the legislation to its practical implementation, particularly the activation of incentives designed to promote investment, innovation and enterprise growth.
The DG noted that the implementation of the NSA involved institutions across several sectors, including trade, finance, communications, innovation, digital economy, science and technology.
He said bringing these institutions together was necessary to identify gaps, clarify responsibilities and develop workable mechanisms for delivering the incentives to intended beneficiaries.
Inuwa also urged stakeholders to embrace continuous engagement and feedback, noting that the success of the Act would depend largely on the ability of implementing institutions to work together and respond to the evolving needs of the startup ecosystem.
He said recommendations from the session would contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen the implementation framework and create an environment where Nigerian startups could scale, attract investment and compete effectively in global markets.
In a context-setting presentation, “Operationalising the Incentive Provisions of the Nigerian Startup Act,” Ms Elma Andah, Acting Lead, Strategy, Research and Analytics at ONDI, said the Act provides more than 31 incentives distributed across six major categories.
She identified the categories as tax and fiscal incentives, regulatory support, funding access, exports and trade, ecosystem enablers, and training and capacity building.
Andah explained that implementing the incentives required the participation of more than 15 government institutions, making inter-agency coordination central to the success of the legislation.
She said the Nigerian Startup Act, signed into law on October 19, 2022, was designed to promote innovation, improve access to funding, strengthen collaboration and position Nigeria as a leading technology and innovation-driven economy in Africa.
According to her, Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has continued to demonstrate significant potential, with more than 3,000 startups and several globally recognised technology companies.
She added that Nigerian startups attracted about $410 million in funding in 2024, despite the challenging economic environment.
Andah highlighted several areas of progress under the Act, including engagements with states on adoption, the operational startup support engagement portal, improved startup labelling timelines, the Startup Consultative governance framework, the Startup Investment Seed Fund framework and ongoing efforts to operationalise the regulatory sandbox framework.
She, however, stressed that the interconnected nature of the incentives meant that no single institution could deliver them independently.
“No single institution can deliver all these incentives alone. Implementation requires coordination across more than 15 MDAs,” she said.
Using practical examples, Andah explained that a startup seeking funding could simultaneously require tax incentives, while an enterprise seeking to export its products might need regulatory approvals. Investors seeking tax credits could also depend on access to the startup labelling system.
She consequently challenged participating institutions to clearly establish ownership of the incentives assigned to them, strengthen coordination, simplify access procedures and introduce effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
The session therefore provided stakeholders with an opportunity to identify implementation gaps and develop practical approaches for ensuring that the incentives contained in the Startup Act are accessible to startups, investors, innovation hubs and other beneficiaries.
The outcome, stakeholders noted, is expected to support a more coordinated implementation of the NSA and strengthen its contribution to Nigeria’s innovation, investment and economic development objectives.
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