Telecom giant MTN announces a 2x rise in investment

MTN, Nigeria's largest telecom operator by subscribers, doubled its investment in the country to 1 trillion naira ($737 million) in 2025, aiming to expand network capacity and maintain its market dominance.

The South Africa-based telecom network’s Nigeria unit saw subscriber numbers rise 8% year-on-year to 87.3 million, with double-digit increases recorded in the number of internet data users and for service revenue, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Headline earnings before deductions doubled to about $2 billion, which the company attributed to “a more stable foreign exchange market, improved FX liquidity, and a sustained decline in inflation compared to 2024.”

Telecom companies are riding a wave of growing smartphone and broadband penetration in Africa, especially as rising numbers of young people depend on the internet to make a living through social media and e-commerce. MTN faced infrastructure challenges in Nigeria last year with more than 9,000 incidents of vandalism of its cables. Still, 2025 marked “a significant turning point in our business performance and resumption of dividend payments,” the company said.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli