- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian telecommunications companies, MTN Nigeria Communications PLC and Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited (9mobile) have officially announced a three-year partnership on national roaming agreement approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This was disclosed in a statement made available to NPO Reports on Monday.
According to the statement, the three-year agreement will enable 9mobile subscribers to roam seamlessly on MTN Nigeria’s expansive network.
This will reportedly extend 9mobile’s coverage and improving service quality for its customers.
The partnership, according to the statement, signaled a shift toward greater industry collaboration in alignment with the NCC’s vision for a more inclusive and efficient digital ecosystem.
Beyond infrastructure sharing, the agreement is also expected to drive greater operational efficiency, stronger connectivity, and an enhanced user experience.
Also contained in the agreement was a proposed spectrum leasing deal, in which 9mobile will lease its 900MHz (5MHz) and 1800MHz (15MHz) bands to MTN for three years, further strengthening MTN’s network capacity and service quality.
In his remark, Obafemi Banigbe, CEO of 9Mobile, described the partnership as a bold resurgence of the telecommunications company.
He maintained that consistent, high-quality service will be rolled out city by city in coming weeks with the aid of the new partnership.
“This partnership marks a bold resurgence for 9mobile,
“It empowers us to meet the needs of our customers, especially youthful and enterprise users, by delivering consistent, high-quality service as we roll out city by city in the weeks ahead.” He said.
Banigbe acknowledged the leadership of Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and the leadership of the NCC, for enabling such progressive industry collaboration, and Dr. Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, for his advocacy of a resource-efficient, consumer-first telecom ecosystem.
He explained that access infrastructure is more important that ownership in the telecommunications industry.
“In today’s telecom environment, access is more strategic than ownership,
“Access to infrastructure is now more important than ownership,
“Rather than duplicating networks, we’re investing in access that is commercially viable and sustainable. Network infrastructure typically accounts for 70–75% of an operator’s costs, savings here 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.
On his part, 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,
“It reflects our shared value philosophy, prioritizing partnerships that benefit the entire ecosystem.” He said.
Toriola also praised 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 collaborate 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.