Vital Lifeline: 9mobile to Launch MTN Roaming Partnership in June

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given 9mobile permission to begin national roaming services on MTN Nigeria’s infrastructure in June 2025, following nearly five years of regulatory delays, according to two people with direct knowledge of the agreement. For the ailing operator, whose market share has fallen to 1.72% in April 2025 from 6.6% in 2020 when it first requested license, this action is a vital lifeline.

In August 2020, the NCC gave MTN and 9mobile a three-month pilot to test roaming capabilities, marking the start of the nationwide roaming journey. A complete commercial deployment was delayed for years until the new permission cleared the path for a statewide launch, even though that experiment ended in October 2020. By expanding its coverage into areas without its infrastructure, 9mobile is able to greatly increase the dependability of its remaining subscribers’ service.

A nationwide roaming and spectrum-sharing deal between MTN and 9mobile, signed in August 2020, is at the heart of the deployment. In regions where 9mobile’s network is spotty or non-existent, the agreement will allow 9mobile users to connect to MTN’s vast infrastructure in order to make calls, send SMS, and access mobile data. The goal of the agreement is to lessen the ongoing coverage gaps and service interruptions that have hampered 9mobile and increased its customer losses.

The deal gives 9mobile a calculated chance to make up ground without having to pay for the expansion of its nationwide infrastructure. Additionally, it makes room for a possible resurgence in the telecom rankings. Analysts say the competition for the third-largest operator is fierce, as Globacom’s market share dropped to an all-time low of 11.9% in April 2025, down to 20.6 million users.

One telecom executive who asked to remain anonymous stated, “The number three spot is still very much in play.” “9mobile’s ability to effectively package and market their services will be crucial now that they have access to MTN’s nationwide network. Since many of their users are linked to their numbers, identity is still important. They can begin to reclaim users if they bundle wisely.

For MTN, the deal is also a strategic victory. MTN receives the opportunity to use 9mobile’s underutilized spectrum assets in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands in exchange for granting access to its infrastructure. These bands are essential for increasing data capacity and coverage, particularly in places where network congestion is a recurring problem.

For example, the 900 MHz spectrum is perfect for rural and semi-urban areas since it is very successful at both indoor penetration and wide-area coverage. In the meanwhile, the high capacity required in crowded metropolitan areas is provided by the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands. This spectrum access could greatly improve performance, ease congestion, and improve the customer experience for MTN, which has over 84 million subscribers.

However, experts warn that the usage of the spectrum may be restricted by regulatory control. “Both operators are making a calculated wager,” the same telecom executive stated. “Restrictions will probably be enforced by the NCC to guarantee fair use and avoid market distortions.”

The agreement is more than just a bilateral economic contract for the NCC. It highlights the Commission’s overarching plan to encourage spectrum efficiency and infrastructure sharing in an expensive operating environment. These kinds of national roaming agreements are thought to be crucial for enhancing service delivery and preventing the need for expensive network deployments twice.

The telecom sector will be keeping a close eye on 9mobile as it gets ready for its much anticipated nationwide roaming launch. If properly implemented, the agreement might act as a model for how smaller carriers might maintain their competitiveness in a market that is becoming more and more dominated by MTN and Airtel. More significantly, it raises the prospect of improved, more reliable access for millions of Nigerian mobile customers, especially those residing in underserved areas.