MTN Nigeria has commemorated 25 years of operations in the country, highlighting its growth from a relatively small telecommunications operator to one of Nigeria’s largest digital connectivity and services providers.
The company marked the milestone with the launch of the Y’ello Street Museum, an exhibition showcasing MTN Nigeria’s journey, milestones, innovations and contributions to Nigeria’s telecommunications industry since its entry into the country.
Speaking at a press conference after the exhibition, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Modupe Kadri, alongside the Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, Ugonwa Nwoye, and Chief Digital Officer, A’isha Mumuni, reflected on the company’s 25-year journey and its plans for the future.
Kadri said the company’s growth had been driven significantly by its customers, who had remained with the network and provided feedback that helped shape its products and services.
“For our customers, we want to say thank you,” he said, noting that some customers had been with the company since its launch 25 years ago.
He said the company had witnessed significant changes in the telecommunications landscape since its inception, with customers playing an important role in its evolution.
According to him, MTN Nigeria’s customer base has grown from a limited number at inception to about 92 million subscribers, reflecting the expansion of telecommunications services and digital connectivity across the country.
Kadri said the company had consistently invested in network planning and optimisation to accommodate the growing demand for telecommunications services and remain competitive.
He explained that MTN uses various tools to forecast demand and identify emerging opportunities across the market, stressing that network planning and optimisation was undertaken continuously.
“Network planning and optimisation is something that we do every year. We have tools that allow us to forecast and tools that allow us to look for new areas of opportunity in our market,” he said.
Kadri said the strategy had enabled the company to sustain its leadership position despite the increasing competition in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
He also disclosed that MTN Nigeria had invested about ₦1.6 trillion in capital expenditure over the last 18 months, underscoring the company’s commitment to expanding and improving its infrastructure.
He said the investments were aimed at strengthening the company’s network and supporting the increasing demand for connectivity and digital services.
On the company’s contribution to government revenue, Kadri said MTN Nigeria had also continued to meet its tax and regulatory obligations.
He said the company had paid almost ₦120 billion in taxes and levies, while noting that about 2.5 per cent of the company’s revenue goes toward operating licence obligations.
The CFO said MTN Nigeria’s expansion had also extended beyond traditional telecommunications services into fintech and digital services.
He attributed the development of the company’s fintech business partly to changes in the regulatory environment, which had gradually created greater opportunities for telecommunications operators to participate in the digital financial services ecosystem.
Kadri said MTN would continue to explore opportunities in fintech and digital services as part of its broader strategy.
On the future of telecommunications and emerging technologies, Mumuni said MTN Nigeria was focused on leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operational efficiency and customer experience.
She said the company’s approach to technology was driven primarily by the needs and ambitions of its customers.
According to her, Nigerians are increasingly technology-savvy and expect better services, making it necessary for MTN to continuously evolve its network, products and digital platforms.
She said AI could help the company improve its understanding of customers, strengthen segmentation and targeting, and develop solutions that better respond to changing customer behaviour.
Mumuni said technology had evolved significantly over the past 25 years and would continue to advance as individuals and businesses sought more efficient ways to work, communicate and interact.
“Our job is to always be at the forefront of technology to ensure that we are able, at any point in time, to provide our customers with the right levels of experience,” she said.
On device accessibility, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka said MTN was expanding its partnerships with device manufacturers to improve access to smartphones and other digital devices across Nigeria.
She noted that the size of Nigeria’s population and its 36 states presented a significant opportunity for wider digital inclusion, but affordability and availability of devices remained important barriers.
She said MTN was therefore working with partners to expand the availability of devices beyond major urban centres.
“We recognise that the opportunity lies across the 36 states of the country. In doing that, we see some significant progress and it is something that we are committed to as an organisation,” she said.
The executive said the company’s device strategy was designed to support greater access to digital services and ensure that more Nigerians could participate in the digital economy.
The company also highlighted its continued focus on expanding connectivity infrastructure, including fibre and 5G services, as part of efforts to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses.
The 25th anniversary celebration provides MTN Nigeria an opportunity to reflect on its transformation from a new entrant into Nigeria’s telecommunications market to a major player in the country’s digital ecosystem.
The company said its focus going forward would remain on connectivity, digital services, fintech, emerging technologies and customer experience as it seeks to support the evolving needs of Nigerians.
The Y’ello Street Museum, which formed part of the anniversary activities, offered visitors an opportunity to trace the company’s history and the technological transformation of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector over the past 25 years.
