MTN Nigeria and 9mobile Join Forces for Nationwide Roaming
This isn’t your everyday mobile partnership. MTN Nigeria and 9mobile have struck a three-year national roaming agreement, with the stamp of approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). In plain terms, this means Nigerians on 9mobile can now roam freely onto MTN’s massive coverage, bringing service to places that were previously just blank spots on the map.
For many of 9mobile’s 2.8 million users, this deal could turn the tide. They’ll be able to use their phones in more places—rural villages, outlying towns, and underserved city corners—without worrying about higher charges. Subscribers keep paying their regular 9mobile rates, but get to surf on MTN’s broader, more robust network. That means fewer dropped calls, faster internet, and an overall smoother mobile experience, regardless of their location in Nigeria.
The move comes as 9mobile tries to reverse a slow erosion of its customer base over recent years. Losing ground to bigger players, the network knew it needed something bold. CEO Obafemi Banigbe didn’t mince words, calling this new partnership a ‘bold resurgence.’ The focus is on delivering reliable, high-quality service to young users and businesses who can’t afford interruptions in a digital-first world. If you’re in the north or south, improvements are coming soon—with the changes rolling out city by city.
Spectrum Leasing and Industry Collaboration Set the Stage
This isn’t just about sharing towers. There’s a technical backbone too: 9mobile will lease part of its valuable spectrum to MTN for three years. That’s 5MHz from the 900MHz band and 15MHz from the 1800MHz band. This extra bandwidth lets MTN pump even faster data speeds and more stable connections into the places where internet traffic is thickest—think Lagos rush hour, Abuja’s growing suburbs, and busy commercial zones.
On MTN’s side, CEO Karl Toriola underlined how the deal fits into an industry trend toward working together rather than competing head-to-head for every square kilometer. The partnership trims wasteful duplication—no need for both companies to build separate, expensive infrastructure in the same spots. By using existing towers and network assets more efficiently, both operators can redirect cash to where it’s needed most—innovations, new services, and reaching new communities.
The NCC has been pushing for this kind of collaboration for years. Leaders there see infrastructure sharing as the fastest path to getting every Nigerian, whether in the heart of a city or far out in the bush, connected to quality mobile service. If it pans out, we could see more companies team up instead of running solo, turning Nigeria’s digital ecosystem into one massive, interwoven network—much better for users, and possibly gentler on wallets too.