MTN Nigeria is set to invest more than ₦1 trillion in network expansion and modernization in 2026, reinforcing its position as the country’s largest telecommunications operator and underscoring the growing importance of digital infrastructure to economic growth.
The planned investment follows a ₦900 billion network infrastructure spend in 2025, reflecting MTN’s determination to keep pace with soaring data demand, increasing digital adoption, and the rapid expansion of data-intensive technologies.
In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the telecom giant deployed ₦390.3 billion in capital expenditure, one of the largest quarterly infrastructure investments in its history.
The announcement was made during a stakeholder engagement forum in Lagos tagged “Data on Trial,” where MTN executives addressed customer concerns over service quality, tariff increases, and allegations of rapid data depletion.
Speaking at the forum, Yahaya Ibrahim, MTN’s Chief Technical Officer, acknowledged subscriber concerns over network performance and apologized for service disruptions.
He explained that sustained investment in network infrastructure has become unavoidable as Nigerians increasingly rely on digital services powered by 4G and 5G networks.
According to him, growing usage of cloud computing, video streaming platforms, artificial intelligence applications, online gaming, and digital collaboration tools continues to place enormous pressure on telecom infrastructure.
Karl Toriola, MTN Chief Executive Officer, noted that while the company remains committed to improving service quality, no telecom operator can guarantee flawless service delivery under current operating conditions.
He cited challenges such as fibre optic cable cuts, vandalism, theft of telecom equipment, unreliable power supply, and multiple regulatory requirements as major obstacles affecting network performance.
The ambitious investment programme is designed to strengthen the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy through several strategic initiatives.
These include:
- Expansion and modernization of switching centres.
- Increased LTE and 5G coverage across major cities and underserved communities.
- Upgrades to network capacity aimed at reducing congestion in high-traffic areas.
- Accelerated rollout of fibre infrastructure to support broadband access for homes and businesses.
- Enhanced infrastructure-sharing arrangements with operators such as Airtel Nigeria and 9mobile to reduce costs and expand coverage.
- Deployment of customer transparency tools through the MyMTN App, enabling users to monitor data consumption at device and application levels.
MTN also sought to clarify concerns about unexplained data depletion, explaining that improved network speeds often trigger higher-resolution streaming on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, leading to faster data usage rather than unauthorized consumption.
The investment aligns with the Federal Government’s digital economy ambitions.
Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has projected that the digital economy will contribute 21 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030, up from an estimated 16–18 per cent today.
The sector contributed ₦7 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 14.19 per cent of Nigeria’s ₦49.34 trillion GDP, highlighting the increasing role of connectivity and technology infrastructure in national development.
