In a deliberate approach to strategically redefine Nigeria’s telecom landscape for seamless customer experience, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited (9mobile) have officially announced a landmark rollout of their national roaming agreement, which has been approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
In a joint press conference organised by the duo held at L’eola Hotel, Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, this three-year agreement enables 9mobile subscribers to roam seamlessly on MTN Nigeria’s extensive network. As a result, it significantly extends 9mobile’s coverage and enhances service quality for its customers.
The partnership signifies a shift towards greater industry collaboration, aligning with the NCC’s vision for a more inclusive and efficient digital ecosystem.
Beyond infrastructure sharing, this agreement promotes greater operational efficiency, stronger connectivity, and an improved user experience. It also paves the way for deeper collaboration between the two telecommunications companies, particularly through a proposed spectrum leasing arrangement.
Under this agreement, 9mobile will lease its 900MHz (5MHz) and 1800MHz (15MHz) bands to MTN for three years, which will further strengthen MTN’s network capacity and service quality.
“This partnership marks a bold resurgence for 9mobile,” said Obafemi Banigbe, CEO of 9mobile. “It empowers us to meet the needs of our customers, particularly the youthful and enterprise users, by consistently delivering high-quality service as we roll out city by city in the coming weeks.”
Banigbe also acknowledged the leadership of Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, for enabling such progressive industry collaboration, as well as Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, for advocating a resource-efficient, consumer-first telecom ecosystem.
“In today’s telecom environment, access is more strategic than ownership,” Banigbe explained. “Access to infrastructure has become more important than outright ownership. Instead of duplicating networks, we are investing in access that is commercially viable and sustainable.
“Network infrastructure typically accounts for 70–75 per cent of an operator’s costs, and savings in this area mean we can reinvest in innovation and customer experience.
“At 9mobile, our mantra is simple: build infrastructure where necessary, share it where possible,” he concluded.
Dr Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, described the agreement as a milestone for the sector. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to industry innovation, customer-centricity, and support for the NCC’s goal of a fully connected Nigeria,” said Toriola.
“It reflects our shared value philosophy, prioritising partnerships that benefit the entire ecosystem.” Toriola also commended Dr Tijani’s efforts in promoting meaningful collaboration as a key driver of digital access, service quality and nationwide inclusion.
This pioneering agreement sets a new benchmark for infrastructure sharing in Nigeria. It exemplifies how competitors can work together to address systemic challenges, reduce redundancies, and collectively transform the industry—ultimately delivering broader coverage, better service, and faster access to emerging technologies for Nigerian consumers.
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