MTN was the first telecommunications provider to roll out 5G in Nigeria, with Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Ibadan, Maiduguri and Owerri all benefiting. The coverage rate rose from 3% in 2022 to 11% in 2023.
Modupe Kadri, MTN’s chief financial officer (CFO), stressed that the expansion faced several setbacks, including currency issues, industry regulation and pricing. He made this comment in an interview with Nairametrics.
“Last year, we increased our 5G population coverage from 3% to 11%. This investment alone is worth $120 million. We made these investments to build resilience. That’s because we need it to do that and to carry the kind of traffic that we see on the network,” he said in an interview with Nairametrics.
Last year, in a meeting with MTN Chairman and new Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Maksevisi Jonas pledged to invest $3.5 billion in Nigerian businesses over the next five years and mobilize other investors into the economy.
Jonas said: “Our visit was an opportunity to reinforce our long-term commitment to Nigeria and our belief in the immense potential of the emerging digital economy.
“The principle of shared values is a fundamental pillar of the Ambition 2025 strategy that we are actively implementing in Nigeria.
“Through increasing local ownership through retail participation in national listings, a renewed focus on local content, driving connectivity and access to financial services in rural areas, and introducing innovative technology platforms, we are making our company more inclusive.” We are continually innovating to ensure a safe digital environment.”
MTN is working with Ericsson to modernize and upgrade its core network in a five-year partnership to enable future 5G standalone. The modernized core network will be equipped with Ericsson’s cloud-native dual-mode 5G core.
Mazen Mrue, MTN Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, said: “This partnership is an important milestone in our 2025 ambition to leverage cutting-edge technology to deliver superior customer experiences and innovation, setting new benchmarks for superior connectivity.”
Speaking on behalf of Ericsson, Hossam Qandeel, MTN Vice President and Head of Global Customer Unit and Ericsson Middle East and Africa Customer Unit MTN Africa, said:
“Together, we are shaping the future of digital connectivity in Africa by modernizing the core networks of MTN Nigeria and MTN South Africa. We are committed to driving this technological advancement in line with Ericsson’s #AfricaInMotion vision. We aim to do so.”
MTN previously said it would begin decommissioning its 3G network in 2025/26. The number of 5G users is estimated to reach the 11 million mark by 2025.
