Airtel Africa and MTN Group have agreed to share network infrastructure in Nigeria, a strategic move designed to mitigate escalating operational costs while expanding mobile coverage to underserved areas. This unprecedented collaboration highlights a conscious shift toward cost-effective operations among African telecom giants as currency devaluation, inflation, and the economic downturn affect their profit.
Before striking this deal, MTN Nigeria, a subsidiary of MTN Group, was in talks with 9mobile, a Nigerian operator currently struggling to maintain its dwindling subscribers. The mobile-roaming deal, still under negotiation, would allow 9mobile to use MTN Nigeria’s infrastructure in select areas, while MTN would gain access to 9mobile’s spectrum in return.
Nigeria, the biggest market in Africa, has been very challenging for both MTN and Airtel. The country accounts for 40% of MTN Group’s revenue and 34.4% of Airtel Africa’s. However, both telecom giants have struggled with revenue declines since 2023 due to naira devaluation. The currency slump has inflated network deployment costs, forcing operators to scale back infrastructure investment. By sharing towers, base stations, and fibre-optic networks, MTN and Airtel aim to manage expenses while improving connectivity in remote areas.
The new agreement aligns with the recent regulatory efforts of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) which approved telecom tariff increases in January and required operators to deploy additional infrastructure within three months to improve service delivery. With the new tariffs taking effect in February, telecom companies only have two months left to comply with this new directive from the ncc.
MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said the agreement aims to meet the growing demand for data services and digital financial solutions across Africa. In Nigeria, MTN’s market share grew to 51% in January, adding over 3 million new subscribers to reach a total of 87.5 million. Airtel Nigeria expanded its subscriber base from 56.6 million in December 2024 to 57.6 million in January 2025.
“We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets,” Mupita said in a statement. “To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers.”
Beyond Nigeria and Uganda where such agreement between the giants already exists, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring further network-sharing opportunities in other African markets, Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and Zambia. The companies are considering various models, including radio access network (RAN) sharing and agreements focused on fibre infrastructure sharing and the construction of new fibre networks.
Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar commenting on the new agreement said “As we compete fiercely in the market on the strength of our brand, services, and offerings, we are building common infrastructure within the permissible regulatory framework, This allows us to provide a more robust and extensive digital highway while avoiding the costly duplication of infrastructure.”
Industry analysts hope this partnership is successful as it would be the first of many such partnerships between Telecom companies and would set a precedent for further collaboration in network investments across the continent.
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