At 25 Years, MTN Plans Further Investment in Network Expansion
Emma Okonji
Showcasing its achievements and consistency in providing telecoms services to millions of subscribers for 25 years of operations in Nigeria, MTN has assured its customers of further investments in network expansion, designed to enhance telecoms services in Nigeria.
MTN gave the assurance in Lagos yesterday, while unfolding activities lined up its 25 years anniversary celebration as telecoms service provider in Nigeria.
General Manager, Network Access Planning and Optimisation at MTN Nigeria, Nasiru Hayatu, who disclosed the network expansion plan, said MTN would continue to invest in network expansion to enhance customer experience in service quality.
“For the past 25 years, MTN has been investing in network expansion and optimisation and this is something that we do every day. We have tools that allow us to forecast. We have tools that allow us to look for new areas of opportunity working with our architectures to improve service quality on our network,” Hayatu said.
Chief Financial Officer, MTN Nigeria, Modupe Kadri, said MTN invested over N1.6 trillion in the last 18 months in network expansion and coverage, capacity building and customer experience.
“In Q1 2026, our capital expenditure (Capex) grew 92.8 per cent year-on-year as we accelerated deployment to relieve congestion and improve service quality. The pace was moderated in Q2 in line our full year plan. In 2025 alone, Capex excluding leases, more than double to about N1 trillion,” Kadri said.
Addressing the issue of 5G expansion plan with affordable devices, MTN said it would continue to partner with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and advise them on the need to produce affordable 5G devices that would boost 5G deployment in Nigeria.
Kadri gave reasons why MTN would not invest in 5G devices, explaining that technology evolves at a faster rate and that partnering with OEMs on device manufacturing will best address the issue.
“If we invest in devices and other device or newer type of devices comes up, they become obsolete. So, we need to partner with our OEMs on device manufacturing,” Kadri said.
In the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) deployment, Kadri said: “Nigerians are very ambitious people, very tech-savvy people, always seeking the best. What MTN has done is to ensure that we enable the ecosystem that will allow them to have the best expressions of themselves, either as individuals or businesses. So, this is one of the areas that for us is critical. And so now when you have the advent of AI, it’s important for us as MTN that we move inwards to understand how we can actually leverage on the platform to drive efficiencies in our operations, in our understanding of the customer, in our ability to target, to segment, to provide the right solutions and understand the types of behaviours that are required to drive initiatives such as our device strategy.”
Speaking about MTN’s involvement in connecting customers in the last 25 years, Kadri said: “MTN will continue to use emerging tools to drive efficiency, to do things better, to interact better, to connect better. And for as long as those desires are there, there will always be a need to continue to advance and optimise what technology can do. Our job as MTN is to always be at the forefront of technology to ensure that we are able to, at any point in time, provide our customers with the right levels of experience and stay true to our commitment to make their lives better.”