Telecom operators in Nigeria invested more than $1 billion in 2025 to deploy over 2,850 new sites, boosting nationwide coverage and capacity, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

NCC

The investment details emerged in the just-released 2025 Network Performance Reports, announced by Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman (EVC), NCC.

Speaking at an engagement on the reports, Dr. Maida emphasised the regulator’s focus on transparent, data-driven oversight.

“Through our collaboration with Ookla, we are providing independent insights into real-world network performance and the lived experience of Nigerians across cities, rural communities, highways, and emerging 5G zones,” he said.

The Q4 2025 reports highlight steady gains in network quality, including improved median download speeds in urban and rural areas compared to Q3.

The video Quality of Experience gap between urban and rural zones has also narrowed, bolstered by a stronger 4G backbone.

Dr. Maida noted ongoing challenges, such as 5G service gaps and upload speed disparities. “We are actively engaging with operators to address these issues, including gaps in mobile service coverage,” he added.

Operators have committed to surpassing their 2025 investment levels in 2026, with infrastructure rollout set to intensify.

“We look forward to continued collaboration with industry stakeholders as we translate these insights into better connectivity, improved service quality, and a more inclusive digital future for all Nigerians,” the EVC concluded.

The Valentine’s season has long been painted in hues of romantic partnership, underscored by campaigns targeting couples. This year, Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce giant, is broadening the palette with the bold and insightful launch of its Valentine campaign, “Black Valentine: Special Love Series”. It is a strategic and empathetic shift designed to redefine how Nigerians celebrate the season of love.

Konga

The campaign, which runs from February 1 to 16, 2026, delivers deep discounts of up to 60 per cent and same day delivery across high-demand categories including Home and Kitchen, Computing, Electronics, Beauty and Personal Care, enabling customers to shop affordably for personal upgrades, thoughtful gifts, and everyday essentials.

Traditionally, February’s marketing focus leans heavily on coupledom. However, demographic realities and evolving social trends present a compelling case for a more inclusive approach. Recent analyses and lifestyle surveys indicate that a substantial portion of Nigeria’s young, urban, and economically active population is single.

This group is not defined by a lack, but by independence, self-investment, and discretionary spending power. They are tech-savvy, and increasingly prioritising wellness, personal grooming, and the curation of their living spaces. Konga’s Black Valentine campaign is a direct response to this consumer insight, reframing the season as a period for self-appreciation and and create a more inclusive shopping experience that resonates with both singles and those in relationships.

“The narrative around Valentine’s Day needs expansion,” says Irfan Vayani, Senior Vice President at Konga. “Love is multifaceted, and the most foundational relationship one can nurture is the one with oneself. ‘Black Valentine’ is our way of honouring every individual’s journey. It’s a campaign built on the principle that whether you’re single, coupled, or simply focused on your own growth, you deserve to celebrate your worth. We are creating a platform for people to invest in their happiness, comfort, and aspirations on their own terms.”

Beyond price incentives, the Black Valentine campaign is supported by a comprehensive omnichannel marketing drive, spanning digital advertising, social media engagement, influencer collaborations, and on-platform promotions. This integrated approach ensures extensive reach, sustained visibility, and strong conversion across Konga’s expansive customer base, which spans millions of shoppers nationwide.

The campaign also reflects broader shifts in consumer behaviour, where shopping is increasingly tied to emotional fulfilment, lifestyle expression, and convenience. In a market where digital adoption continues to rise, Konga remains at the forefront, leveraging technology, logistics infrastructure, and customer insights to deliver seamless shopping experiences at scale.

By championing self-love alongside romantic gifting, Konga is positioning Black Valentine not just as a seasonal promotion, but as a lifestyle statement, one that encourages individuals to prioritise wellbeing, confidence, and intentional living. This approach aligns strongly with global retail trends, where self-care, personal development, and emotional wellness are becoming central drivers of consumer purchasing decisions.

As Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce ecosystem, Konga continues to set the pace in innovation, customer-centric retail, and market leadership. The Black Valentine: Special Love Series reinforces this positioning, combining compelling discounts, inclusive messaging, and a robust digital platform to deliver a campaign that resonates emotionally while driving measurable commercial outcomes.

Customers can access the Black Valentine deals exclusively on Konga.com and across the Konga mobile app, with offers available for a limited time. With significant savings, wide product selection, and seamless delivery, the campaign presents an unmissable opportunity for Nigerians to celebrate themselves this Valentine season.

Airtel Africa’s profit after tax grew to $586 million in the nine months ended December 31, 2025, up from $248 million in the corresponding period of 2024.

According to the company’s nine-month financial results released on Friday, the higher profit after tax in the current period was driven by higher operating profit and derivative and foreign exchange gains of $99 million, as compared to $153 million in derivative and foreign exchange losses in the prior period.

It disclosed that the group’s revenues in reported currency increased by 28.3 percent to $4,667 million, with constant currency growth of 24.6 percent. Reported currency revenue growth at a premium to constant currency growth reflects currency appreciation in key markets. In Q3’26, constant currency revenue growth improved to 24.7 percent from 24.2 percent in the previous quarter (Q2’26).

“Constant currency revenue growth was supported by tariff adjustments driving a 50.6 percent growth in Nigeria and a strong performance in Francophone Africa, which saw revenues accelerate to 17.0 percent in the nine months.”

In Nigeria, revenue grew by 50.4 percent in constant currency, largely driven by continued strength in the demand for data services, further supported by the tariff adjustments. The constant currency revenue growth was driven by ARPU growth of 39.6 percent and customer base growth of 7.8 percent.

“In reported currency, revenue grew by 52.1 percent to $1,123 million, with Q3’26 revenue growth accelerating to 70.9 percent compared to constant currency growth of 52.9 percent.

“Significantly higher reported currency growth during the quarter compared to constant currency growth was due to the appreciation in Nigerian naira from a weighted average NGN/USD rate of 1,627 in Q3’25 to NGN/USD 1,456 in the current quarter,” it disclosed.

Insights from Airtel’s financials revealed that voice revenue in Nigeria grew by 35.8 percent in constant currency, driven by voice ARPU growth of 26.0 percent, reflecting the tariff adjustments earlier in the year.

Data revenue also grew by 65.4 percent in constant currency as a function of both data customer and data ARPU growth of 8.0 percent and 49.7 percent, respectively. Data usage per customer increased by 26.2 percent to 10.7 GB per month (from 8.4 GB in the prior period), with smartphone penetration increasing 4.6 percent to reach 54.1 percent. Smartphone data usage per customer reached 13.4 GB per month compared to 11.2 GB per month in the prior period.

Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, said these results highlight the strength of our strategy, with strong operating and financial trends across the business.

He added that “During the quarter, we accelerated investment to enhance coverage and data capacity while also expanding our fibre network. Coupling this investment with innovative partnerships strengthens our customer proposition and positions us to capture the considerable growth opportunity across our markets.

Digitisation, technology innovation, and embedding AI in our processes will also optimise the customer experience with increased digital offerings and closer integration of GSM and Airtel Money services, allowing us to unlock the strong demand across our markets.

Smartphone adoption continues to increase with a penetration of 48.1 percent, and we are seeing solid progress in the development of our home broadband business, reflecting the need for reliable, high-speed connectivity across our markets.

“Our push to enhance financial inclusion across the continent continues to gain momentum with our Mobile Money customer base expanding to 52 million, surpassing the 50 million milestone.

Annualised total processed value of over $210 billion in Q3’26 underscores the depth of our merchants, agents, and partner ecosystem and remains a key player in driving improved access to financial services across Africa. We remain on track for the listing of Airtel Money in the first half of 2026.

“Disciplined execution on cost efficiency, alongside accelerating revenue growth, has enabled another sequential improvement in our quarterly EBITDA margin to 49.6 percent, underpinning constant currency EBITDA growth of 31 percent, and we remain focused on driving further incremental margin improvements.

“Our strategic priorities remain clear: to continue investing in best-in-class connectivity, accelerate financial inclusion through our mobile money platform, and deliver an exceptional customer experience. These results reinforce our confidence in the long-term potential of our markets and our ability to create value for all our stakeholders,” he added.