The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a three-year national roaming agreement allowing 9Mobile subscribers to use MTN’s network across Nigeria.
This new deal means 9Mobile customers can now access MTN’s extensive network in areas where 9Mobile’s coverage is weak or unavailable. It offers a cost-effective way for 9Mobile to expand its reach without building new infrastructure. In return, MTN gains access to 9Mobile’s underused spectrum in key frequency bands, which can help improve MTN’s network capacity.
The agreement is seen as a major step toward better collaboration in Nigeria’s telecom sector, which has long discussed infrastructure sharing but rarely implemented it at this scale. MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, said the deal supports the NCC’s vision of a fully connected Nigeria and shows what can be achieved through partnership between private and public sectors.
9Mobile’s market share has dropped sharply in recent years, from 6.6% in 2020 to just 1.72% in April 2025, due largely to poor service quality and customer loss. This roaming deal could help 9Mobile win back subscribers by improving network reliability.
The NCC has encouraged telecom companies to share infrastructure to reduce costs and expand mobile access nationwide. This agreement follows a successful pilot roaming trial between MTN and 9Mobile in Ondo State in 2020, which tested the impact on service delivery.
Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria CEO, said:
“This agreement represents a significant step in our commitment to driving industry collaboration, improving customer experience, and supporting the NCC’s vision of a fully connected Nigeria.”
“Now that 9Mobile will have access to MTN’s national footprint, it’s all about how well they can package and market their services.”
This national roaming deal could reshape Nigeria’s telecom landscape by making services more reliable and affordable, especially for 9Mobile users. It also sets a model for smaller operators to survive and thrive in a market dominated by giants like MTN and Airtel.
