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Nigeria’s Presentation at ITU Good for Telecoms Investments- Opeke

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Funke Opeke, MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer,
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Nigeria’s government and private sectors have made a pitch to foreign investors at the 2016 International Telecommunication Union conference, Telecoms World, where they presented the country’s developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) opportunities for future investment.

Nigeria’s participation, which was put together by the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was led by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Nasir El-Rufai, the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer, Funke Opeke.

Speaking during the panel session on “Smart Communities as the key to a Digital Nigeria”, Prof. Danbatta, EVC of the Nigerian Communications Commission, talked up the opportunities for investment in Nigeria, aided by flexible regulatory policies.

Buttressing his comments, Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer of MainOne, described the Telecom Infrastructure gaps in the country and the opportunities available for investment. She highlighted as example, the government-assisted Infrastructure Company (Infraco) project, where MainOne is licensee for Lagos State, which aims to expand broadband penetration from the current 20 percent to over 30 percent targeted in the National Broadband Plan for 2018.

According to her, licensees for five other regions of the country are currently available for bid.

Ms. Opeke highlighted the tremendous potential Nigeria’s ICT industry offers to investment, underlining Nigeria 80Million internet users, the growing population of  smartphone users, and the country’s over 100 percent voice penetration. She noted that most regions of the country are still under-served in terms of ICT deployment and reiterated that commitment of the government to diversify the economy from oil will require greater ICT penetration to create jobs.

“Availability of broadband infrastructure across all regions of Nigeria and the technology adoption this will facilitate will greatly accelerate the pace of development in Nigeria, facilitate increased non-oil trade, enhance the Digital economy, improve public access to education, health and other social services and aid job creation”, Ms. Opeke said.

The ITU Telecom World is an annual conference sponsored by the ITU which features high-level CEO and Ministerial Round Tables to facilitate open dialogues between governments and business leaders.

Held in Bangkok, Thailand, the conference theme for 2016 is “Collaboration in the Digital Economy” and featured sessions on collaborative regulation, smart sustainable cities, fostering SME innovation, gender inclusive development and digital financial services for financial inclusion.

 


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Dimension Data Nigeria Secures ₦20Billion Funding to Strengthen Digital Infrastructure

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Dimension Data Nigeria has raised ₦20 billion (approximately $13.7 million) through a bond programme under Dimension Data SPV Funding Plc, following approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria.

This initiative aims to strengthen Nigeria’s digital infrastructure by addressing gaps in fibre coverage, limited enterprise connectivity, and increasing demand for cloud, fintech, digital services, and Artificial Intelligence.

The integrated IT solutions provider stated that the capital will be used to fund long-term investments in expanding network capacity, enhancing resilience, and supporting carrier-grade and enterprise services as data consumption continues to accelerate nationwide.

Speaking at a documentation and regulatory clearances event in Lagos, managing director, Gbenga Olabiyi, said sustained infrastructure investment is critical to maintaining competitiveness and enabling future growth.

He noted that strategic upgrades would help future-proof operations, reduce service disruptions, and allow the company to scale efficiently as business and consumer demand for cloud, fintech, and other digital services intensifies.

The bond programme is backed by private equity firm Mbavaa Partners Limited, whose managing partner, Shatse Kakwagh, described the transaction as a milestone that unlocks long-term capital for expansion.

He highlighted that strong ratings and an oversubscribed first issuance show investor confidence in Dimension Data’s execution and growth potential.

The fundraising comes as Nigeria confronts persistent infrastructure gaps, including limited metro and last-mile fibre coverage and rising enterprise connectivity needs.

Government intends to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre nationwide under Project Bridge aim to expand internet penetration and lower access costs.

 


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MTN Nigeria Posts Record N1.70 Trillion Pre‑Tax Profit, Declares N20 Dividend for 2025

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MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has recorded a landmark turnaround in 2025, posting a pre‑tax profit of N1.70 trillion, reversing a loss of N550.3 billion in 2024 as the company emerged from a rough patch driven largely by foreign exchange volatility.

MTN Nigeria Posts Record N1.70 Trillion Pre‑Tax Profit, Declares N20 Dividend for 2025

MTN Nigeria

The telecom giant said the performance reflects a “significant turning point” in its corporate and financial trajectory, underpinned by improved macroeconomic conditions, strong service‑revenue growth, and tightening operational efficiency.

Profitability, Revenue, and Dividend

For the full year 2025, MTN Nigeria reported profit after tax of N1.11 trillion, compared with a loss after tax of N400.4 billion in 2024, while earnings per share rose to N53.07 from a negative N19.05 a year earlier.

Total revenue grew 54.9% year‑on‑year to N5.20 trillion, with service revenue up 55.1% to N5.17 trillion, driven mainly by data, voice, and fintech services.

The company’s board proposed a final cash dividend of N15 per share, bringing the total dividend for the 2025 financial year to N20 per share. Dividends will be paid electronically to shareholders on the register as of April 8, 2026, subject to completed e‑dividend mandates.

This payout is one of the largest single‑year dividends in Nigerian corporate history, signalling strong cash‑flow generation and management confidence in the company’s earnings quality.

Fourth‑Quarter Momentum and Customer Base

MTN Nigeria’s fourth‑quarter performance was particularly robust, with pre‑tax profit surging 248.8% year‑on‑year to N569.6 billion, compared with N163.3 billion in Q4 2024.

The company’s mobile subscriber base reached 87.3 million at year‑end, up 7.9% from the previous year, reinforcing its position as Nigeria’s largest telecom operator by subscribers.

Active data users grew by 11.6% to 53.2 million, and smartphone penetration rose to 66.1%, reflecting the deepening shift toward data‑driven services and digital lifestyles among Nigerians.

Data, Fintech, and Voice Growth

Data was the biggest growth driver, with data revenue up 74.5% to N2.78 trillion and data traffic increasing 34.0%, amid rising demand for mobile broadband and video streaming.

Voice revenue also climbed strongly, rising 42.1% to N1.85 trillion as tariffs and usage patterns adjusted to more stable exchange‑rate conditions.

Fintech revenue surged 79.7% to N191.3 billion, underscoring the rapid expansion of MTN Nigeria’s mobile money ecosystem and the growing role of digital financial inclusion in the country’s economy.

Cost Management and EBITDA Leap

Operating leverage improved markedly, with cost of sales rising 30.3% and operating expenses up 16.7%, both growth rates below the 55% revenue expansion.

EBITDA jumped 108.9% to N2.74 trillion, lifting the company’s EBITDA margin into the mid‑to‑high 50% range, ahead of its prior guidance.

Management attributed the improvement to a more stable foreign‑exchange market, moderated inflation, and sustained demand for data and digital services, as well as disciplined cost control.

FX Recovery and Capital Expenditure

Foreign exchange performance was a major swing factor: MTN Nigeria recorded a net FX gain of N90.3 billion in 2025, compared with a N925.4 billion FX loss in 2024.

The turnaround followed settlement of outstanding letters of credit and a deliberate reduction in dollar‑denominated exposure, which helped insulate earnings from earlier currency shocks.

Capital expenditure excluding leases rose 126.2% to N1.00 trillion, as the company invested heavily in network capacity, coverage, and digital infrastructure, including fibre rollout and 4G/LTE upgrades.

Despite the higher capex, free cash flow soared 215.5% to N1.2 trillion, indicating that the expansion is being funded internally without straining the balance sheet.

Balance Sheet and Shareholder Value

The company’s balance sheet strengthened materially, with total assets up 28.7% to N5.40 trillion and shareholders’ equity turning positive after several years in deficit.

Shareholders’ funds rose 219.8% to N548.7 billion, while retained earnings closed at N400.4 billion, compared with negative N607.5 billion in December 2024.

In the stock market, MTN Nigeria’s shares recently traded around N760, making it the most capitalised company on the Nigerian Exchange with a market valuation of about N16 trillion.

The stock has gained 33% in February 2026 alone, taking year‑to‑date returns to 49%, following a 155.5% rally in 2025, which investors see as a vote of confidence in the company’s turnaround story.

Outlook and Strategic Guidance

Management maintains a medium‑term service‑revenue growth guidance of at least low‑20% annually, underpinned by ongoing data and fintech expansion as well as gradual price adjustments.

The group has also revised its EBITDA margin guidance upward to the mid‑to‑high 50% range, signalling sustained profitability even as the company continues to invest in network and digital infrastructure.

Analysts note that MTN Nigeria’s 2025 performance not only restores investor confidence but also sets a benchmark for other Nigerian corporates navigating FX‑linked risks and regulatory uncertainty.


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Telecom Giant MTN Injects N1.0 Trillion CAPEX into Network Expansion

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In a bold move to future-proof Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, MTN Nigeria embarked on a massive N1.0 trillion Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) drive, backed by its record-breaking 2025 financial performance.

Telecom Giant MTN Injects N1.0 Trillion CAPEX into Network Expansion

MTN

The company’s audited results revealed a historic 108.9% increase in EBITDA to N2.7 trillion and a 215.5% rise in free cash flow to N1.2 trillion, providing the exact financial muscle necessary for this aggressive network expansion.

According to the firm’s strategic blueprint, without the ability to generate strong returns, the N1.0 trillion CAPEX required to maintain the network and deploy advanced technologies would simply not exist.

This accelerated network investment is already yielding significant dividends in consumer usage and reliability. The 2025 results showed a massive 74.5% surge in data revenue alongside a 42.1% increase in voice revenue. Furthermore, active data subscribers grew by 11.6% to hit 53.2 million, underscoring the robust commercial momentum and the continuous public demand for high-quality internet services powered by fresh CAPEX.

Speaking on the company’s trajectory, CEO Karl Olutokun Toriola confirmed that the restoration of positive retained earnings and a highly resilient balance sheet directly supported this accelerated network investment.

He said: “2025 marked a significant turning point in our business performance, with a return to profitability, stronger free cash flow, and the restoration of positive retained earnings and shareholders’ funds, enabling the resumption of dividend payments.

“Our balance sheet resilience – underpinned by robust operating performance, disciplined capital allocation, and reduced foreign currency exposure – supported accelerated network investment to enhance quality of service and user experience, positioning us to sustain growth and deliver attractive long term shareholder returns.”

The company continues to position this N1.0 trillion infrastructure spending as a cornerstone of its economic patriotism. As the largest corporate taxpayer, MTN noted that its heavy investments directly support government digital infrastructure ambitions and social welfare whilst stimulating the local tech ecosystem.


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