Key Developments
- New
Agreement: On July 3, 2025, 9mobile and MTN Nigeria officially signed a three-year
national roaming partnership, backed by the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), allowing seamless access to MTN’s network for 9mobile
users in underserved regions
- Testing
Phase: Technical trials began over the weekend (July 5–6). If successful,
the service will be fully nationwide by end of July
- Pioneering
Move: This marks the first large-scale infrastructure-sharing deal in
Nigeria—and indeed across West, Central, and East Africa
What This Means
- Coverage
Boost: 9mobile subscribers will now enjoy voice, SMS, and data services
across MTN’s broad network footprint wherever 9mobile lacks coverage
- Subscriber
Recovery: Once boasting over 22 million users in 2016, 9mobile's base
shrank to just around 3.2 million by early 2025. This roaming deal is core
to its $3?billion turnaround plan aimed at halting customer attrition and
rebuilding trust
- Strategic
Efficiency: 9mobile’s "build where necessary, share where
possible" mantra reflects that the deal is a commercial arrangement,
not a merger. Each operator retains its branding, billing systems, and
customer identity
Leadership
Insights
- Obafemi
Banigbe, CEO of 9mobile, confirmed that testing wraps this weekend, paving
the way for activation before month-end. He described the deal as a milestone
in operational efficiency, emphasizing infrastructure sharing over
duplication
- Lynda
Saint-Nwafor, MTN’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, praised the
collaboration as a model of “co?opetition”—blending cooperation with
healthy market rivalry—and commended the NCC’s enabling role
Wider Industry Significance
- Regulatory
Success: The NCC has long advocated infrastructure sharing to cut capital
costs and increase rural coverage. This partnership is a major regulatory
milestone
- Spectrum
Advantage: MTN enhances utilisation by accessing 9mobile's 900, 1800, and
2100?MHz spectrum, easing congestion in crowded service zones
- Blueprint
for Others: Experts believe this confirms a replicable model for smaller
telecom operators striving to compete in a capital-heavy sector
What to Expect Next
- Full
Rollout: Nationwide coverage pending final validation—expected by July 31,
2025.
- Customer
Impact: 9mobile users simply need to power on their devices to enjoy
boosted connectivity, with no re-registration required
- Competitive
Dynamics: Infrastructure sharing may prompt new service innovations,
better pricing, and could even pave the way for similar partnerships among
other telecom providers.
Bottom Line
As Nigeria gears up for the country’s inaugural
national roaming service, 9mobile stands to regain lost ground without costly
new infrastructure, while MTN gains valuable spectrum efficiency. If executed
well, the project could redefine rural connectivity, inspire more industry
collaborations, and serve as a telecom transformation template across Africa.
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