MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has announced a major spectrum lease deal with T2 Mobile Limited (formerly 9Mobile), set to begin on October 1, 2025, following approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The agreement grants MTN access to 5MHz Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) in the 900MHz band and 15MHz FDD in the 1800MHz band for a period of three years.
According to company secretary Uto Ukpanah, the lease is designed to support MTN’s national roaming partnership with T2 Mobile, allowing MTN to efficiently manage the additional traffic from T2’s customer base across areas where T2’s infrastructure is limited.
Strengthening Nigeria’s Telecom Infrastructure
MTN Nigeria emphasized that the deal is more than a spectrum acquisition—it is a step toward strengthening collaboration within the telecom sector and boosting network resilience.
MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, said the lease aligns with the company’s Ambition 2025 strategy, which focuses on delivering cost-efficient, environmentally sustainable connectivity while expanding broadband access.
“By leveraging additional spectrum, we are enhancing network capacity and fostering a more collaborative telecom ecosystem,” Toriola stated.
“With national roaming agreements and onboarding of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), we are advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation and ensuring inclusive growth.”
End of Agreement with Ntel
Alongside the new deal with T2 Mobile, MTN Nigeria confirmed it will not extend its existing spectrum lease with Natcom Development and Investment Ltd (Ntel).
The Ntel lease—covering 5MHz FDD in the 900MHz band and 10MHz FDD in the 1800MHz band across 17 states—expires on November 29, 2025, and will not be renewed.
This signals MTN’s shift toward longer-term partnerships, such as the one signed with T2 Mobile, which provide greater stability and network efficiency.
What This Means for T2 Mobile
For T2 Mobile (formerly 9Mobile), the collaboration with MTN is already yielding results. In July 2025, the operator recorded its first subscriber growth in nearly a year, adding 290,601 new users—a gain attributed to its infrastructure-sharing and roaming arrangement with MTN.
Despite this improvement, T2 Mobile remains the country’s fourth-largest operator with 1.61% market share, while MTN continues to dominate the industry with 52.7% share, according to NCC data.
Nigeria’s Telecom Landscape in Transition
The broader telecom market has seen a slowdown. As of July 2025, total active mobile subscriptions dropped to 169.1 million, down from 171.5 million in June. The decline was mainly driven by customer losses at MTN, Airtel, and Globacom.
Nigeria’s teledensity also fell from 79.22% to 78.11%, based on an estimated population of 216 million (NCC Data).
Looking Ahead
With this new spectrum lease and national roaming arrangement, MTN Nigeria is reinforcing its role as the leading enabler of digital connectivity in Nigeria. The move strengthens the operator’s ability to handle increased demand, expand rural coverage, and accelerate the country’s digital inclusion goals.
At the same time, T2 Mobile stands to benefit from improved service quality, customer retention, and long-term viability in a highly competitive telecom market.
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