By It is exactly 25 years from this month that the first call was made on the MTN Nigeria network at Maritime House in Apapa, Lagos, shortly after the company secured its digital mobile licence in February 2001, setting the stage for commercial operations later that year.
Since then, the company has navigated the challenges of the previously nascent telecommunications environment, emerging as the most dominant mobile network operator in Nigeria, as evidenced by statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the regulator overseeing Africa’s most vibrant telecommunications industry.
One major challenge for a new operator in an infant that was once dominated by a government-owned telecoms operator, which was a time when both an operator and regulator were the lack of infrastructure and the fact that investors avoid such a highly capital-demanding sector.
From day one of switching its network, MTN Nigeria, now quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, made it clear that it was poised towards making a landmark in one of Africa’s telecoms markets.
In fact, while rolling out the facts behind the figures, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria Plc, Dr Karl Toriola, described 2025 as a defining year for MTN Nigeria that was marked by a return to profitability, strengthened financial resilience and renewed momentum in her long-term investment programme.
According to him, for the year ended 31 December 2025, the total subscriber base increased to 87.3 million, up 7.9 per cent, while active data subscribers increased to 53.2 million and data traffic grew by 34 per cent during the year, reflecting sustained demand for digital services across the country and “our continued investment in network capacity to support that growth”.
He noted that these figures speak to the pace at which digital connectivity is becoming central to daily life and underscore the need for sustained investment in network capacity and resilience.
According to him, the company invested one trillion naira in network expansion and modernisation, which is more than double the prior year’s capital expenditure, adding that this investment translates to additional base stations, deeper fibre rollout, expanded capacity and improved network resilience across the country because sustaining critical digital infrastructure requires disciplined capital allocation and a deliberate long-term approach.
MTN Nigeria’s commitment towards telecoms infrastructure development was reenacted recently when the NCC disclosed that the sector is currently undergoing one of its most extensive network expansion and modernisation cycles in recent years, following a prolonged period of underinvestment.
In 2025 alone, Mobile Network Operators invested over N2.13 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades, while Tower Companies invested an additional N373.8 billion across the sector. These investments supported the addition and upgrade of over 2,800 telecommunications sites nationwide, addressing coverage and capacity gaps in several locations.
Also reeling out figures of investment in network infrastructure development, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria Plc, Dr Karl Toriola disclosed that the investments yielded amazing figures, stressing that MTN Nigeria made a whopping sum of N3.7 trillion in service revenue, an increase of 12.8 per cent, while her subscriber base went up by 11.0 per cent to hit 85.4 million.
The figures which were contained in the leading operator’s financial books of 30 September 2025 indicated that the Yellow brand also made an impressive performance in its Profit After Tax (PAT), which moved from N514.9 billion in 2024 to N750.2 billion in 2025.
Indeed, figures in the telco’s books revealed its fintech revenue rose by 72.5%, supported by higher interest income from deposits, continued growth in advanced services, and onboarding high-value customers. Customer deposits increased by 80.5% compared to December 2024.
In one of the facts behind figures statements, Toriola said, “The number of active agents grew by 73.6% and merchants by 42.6% compared to December 2024, reflecting deliberate focus on optimising distribution quality and building a more sustainable fintech ecosystem for long-term growth.”
In the last 25 years, MTN Nigeria, despite the huge investments in network infrastructure, has had setbacks, particularly in infrastructure damage: three northern states where the yellow company suffered fibre cuts.
It was, however, swift in responding to the crisis, thereby bringing relief to the customers after it scheduled network maintenance activity as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability and long-term network performance.
As part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary celebration, MTN Nigeria increased intake for its prestigious Media Innovation Programme (MIP) Cohort five from the previous 20 intake to 25.
The successful candidates are expected to start their journey to the intensive six months on Monday. May 18.
