Telecommunications giants MTN Nigeria and 9mobile have announced that their long-anticipated national roaming agreement, approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), will be fully rolled out across the country before the end of July.
The move will allow 9mobile subscribers to access MTN’s network wherever 9mobile’s signal is weak or unavailable—making calls, sending SMS, and accessing data via MTN’s expansive infrastructure.
At a joint press conference on Thursday, 9mobile CEO Obafemi Banigbe confirmed that the companies are currently conducting final service tests in selected regions.
“We expect all our tests to be completed over the weekend,” Banigbe said. “So, within the month of July, we will be able to have a rollout across the country based on the outcome of those tests.”
The deal, which Banigbe described as the first of its kind in West, Central, and East Africa, will reduce capital expenditure for 9mobile by eliminating the need to build duplicate infrastructure. It is expected to enhance user experience, boost coverage, and attract investment into Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Speaking on behalf of MTN Nigeria, Chief Enterprise Business Officer Lynda Saint-Nwafor said the partnership represents “co-opetition”—a strategic blend of competition and cooperation aimed at improving service while maintaining innovation-driven rivalry.
The national roaming agreement, which spans three years, builds on a pilot conducted in Ondo State in 2020 and aligns with the NCC’s broader goals of digital inclusion and efficient network expansion.
