MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has reinforced its dominance of Nigeria’s telecoms market after growing its customer base to 92.2 million subscribers and posting ₦2.97 trillion in service revenue during the first half of 2026, underscoring how rising smartphone adoption and surging demand for mobile broadband are reshaping the country’s digital economy.
The mobile network operator (MNO) owned by South Africa’s MTN Group, added 4.9 million new subscribers in the six months ended June 30, lifting its total customer base by 5.6% year-on-year while expanding active data users to 55.7 million, according to its unaudited H1 2026 financial results.
The strong commercial performance translated into robust financial growth, the MNO says, with service revenue increasing by 25.9% year-on-year to ₦2.97 trillion, driven largely by sustained growth in data services, resilient voice revenues and expanding enterprise connectivity despite persistent macroeconomic pressures.
MTN Nigeria also reported profit after tax of ₦707.5 billion, representing a 70.6% increase over the corresponding period last year, while earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 39.2% to ₦1.67 trillion, with EBITDA margin improving to 55.9%.
The mid-year figures further consolidate MTN’s position as Nigeria’s largest MNO at a time when the country’s digital transformation is accelerating, fuelled by increasing smartphone ownership, rising broadband adoption, expanding fintech services and growing demand for digital lifestyles.
“Commercial momentum remained strong,” Toriola says, “with 4.9 million net additions in H1 lifting our subscriber base to 92.2 million, while active data users increased by 2.5 million to 55.7 million. This reflects stronger customer engagement, sustained demand for data-rich services and continued smartphone adoption.”
MTN Nigeria: 92.2 million subscribers drive commercial momentum
MTN Nigeria attributed the results to sustained customer acquisition, stronger engagement across digital services and continued investment in network quality.
According to Dr Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, the operator’s commercial strategy continued to deliver strong momentum despite challenging economic conditions.
“Commercial momentum remained strong,” Toriola says, “with 4.9 million net additions in H1 lifting our subscriber base to 92.2 million, while active data users increased by 2.5 million to 55.7 million. This reflects stronger customer engagement, sustained demand for data-rich services and continued smartphone adoption.”
The subscriber growth reinforces MTN’s leadership in Nigeria’s mobile market, where operators are increasingly competing through network quality, broadband availability and digital service offerings rather than traditional voice services alone.
The addition of nearly five million customers in just six months also reflects continued demand for reliable connectivity as Nigerians increasingly depend on mobile communications for business, education, financial services, entertainment and public services.
Industry analysts reckon that subscriber growth has become increasingly valuable as operators seek to monetise higher-value digital services, including video streaming, cloud applications, enterprise connectivity and mobile financial services.
Data revenue climbs to ₦1.70 trillion
The standout performer in MTN’s H1 results was its data business, which continues to redefine the operator’s revenue profile.
Data revenue increased 38.4% year-on-year to ₦1.70 trillion, making it the fastest-growing major business segment and reinforcing mobile broadband as the company’s principal growth engine. The performance significantly outpaced other business lines.
Voice revenue grew by 12%, reflecting the maturity of traditional mobile telephony, while digital services expanded 20.9%.
Fintech revenue declined 7.2%, largely because of the temporary suspension of MTN’s airtime and data lending service during the reporting period, although the company noted that the underlying mobile money business continued to record healthy transaction growth.
The figures illustrate the structural transformation underway across Nigeria’s telecoms industry as operators increasingly derive revenue from internet services rather than conventional voice calls. Only a decade ago, voice services accounted for the overwhelming majority of telecom revenue.
Today, rising demand for video streaming, remote work, online education, social media, cloud services, gaming, digital commerce and financial technology applications has shifted consumption patterns decisively towards mobile broadband.
Overall network traffic grew 25.8%, while average monthly data consumption per subscriber increased 15.2% to 14.8GB, reflecting Nigerians’ growing dependence on mobile internet for everyday activities. The figures highlight how smartphones have become the primary gateway to Nigeria’s digital economy. From digital banking and government services to e-learning, telemedicine, e-commerce and entertainment, smartphones now underpin a broad range of economic activities.
Smartphone penetration reaches 66.4%
A key factor behind MTN’s data growth was the continued expansion in smartphone ownership across its network.
The company reported that smartphone penetration increased to 66.4%, enabling more customers to access high-speed internet services and consume greater volumes of digital content. This trend translated into significantly higher network utilisation.
Overall network traffic grew 25.8%, while average monthly data consumption per subscriber increased 15.2% to 14.8GB, reflecting Nigerians’ growing dependence on mobile internet for everyday activities.
The figures highlight how smartphones have become the primary gateway to Nigeria’s digital economy. From digital banking and government services to e-learning, telemedicine, e-commerce and entertainment, smartphones now underpin a broad range of economic activities.
For MTN, this evolution is reshaping its long-term business strategy. Rather than focusing primarily on subscriber acquisition, the operator is increasingly seeking to deepen customer engagement by encouraging greater adoption of higher-value digital services.
The strategy enables the company to increase average revenue per user while supporting Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Digital economy driving telecoms growth
The H1 results also underscore the close relationship between telecommunications infrastructure and Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.
As broadband connectivity improves, businesses are migrating more operations online, financial institutions are digitising services, schools are adopting virtual learning platforms and consumers are embracing digital lifestyles at unprecedented scale. These changes have significantly increased demand for reliable mobile broadband.
MTN says this structural shift positions data as its most important long-term growth opportunity. The company believes continued growth in smartphone adoption, increasing 4G and 5G coverage and rising demand for home broadband will sustain future expansion even as traditional voice services mature.
Its performance also reflects broader industry trends.
The latest market data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) continues to show rising broadband penetration, increasing internet consumption and stronger demand for high-speed connectivity across Nigeria, with MTN maintaining its position as the nation’s largest mobile operator.
Revenue growth reflects diversified strategy
Beyond subscriber growth, MTN’s financial performance demonstrates the benefits of its diversified revenue model.
The operator continues to generate income from consumer services, enterprise connectivity, digital platforms, wholesale infrastructure, fintech solutions and broadband services. This diversification has become increasingly important as operators navigate inflationary pressures, currency volatility and rising operating costs.
According to the company, disciplined execution, sustained commercial momentum and continued investment in customer experience enabled it to maintain profitability while strengthening its competitive position.
The strong H1 performance provides further evidence that telecoms remains one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors and a critical enabler of digital economic development.
₦620.5bn network investment targets Nigeria’s broadband future
To sustain rising demand for digital services, MTN significantly increased investment in its network infrastructure during the first half of the year, underscoring the scale of capital required to support Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy.
The operator invested ₦620.5 billion in capital expenditure (capex), excluding leases, during the six-month period, directing the funds towards expanding network capacity, improving coverage and accelerating broadband deployment across the country.
The investment forms part of MTN’s long-term strategy, which prioritises network quality, digital platforms, financial technology and enterprise services as key growth pillars.
Toriola said strengthening network resilience remains essential as millions of Nigerians migrate to data-intensive applications requiring faster speeds, lower latency and greater reliability.
Beyond expanding mobile broadband capacity, the investment is also supporting improvements in customer experience as demand for high-definition video streaming, cloud computing, digital learning, online gaming, remote work and artificial intelligence-powered services continues to rise.
Industry analysts say operators are entering a new phase in which network investment is no longer driven simply by subscriber growth but increasingly by the exponential increase in data consumption per customer.
For MTN, maintaining network leadership has become a competitive necessity as operators intensify investment in 4G, 5G and fibre infrastructure to differentiate themselves through service quality.
Toriola said strengthening network resilience remains essential as millions of Nigerians migrate to data-intensive applications requiring faster speeds, lower latency and greater reliability. Beyond expanding mobile broadband capacity, the investment is also supporting improvements in customer experience as demand for high-definition video streaming, cloud computing, digital learning, online gaming, remote work and artificial intelligence-powered services continues to rise.
Broadband strategy extends beyond mobile connectivity
A central component of MTN’s investment strategy is expanding broadband beyond smartphones into homes and businesses. The company identified Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) and 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) as strategic growth platforms capable of closing Nigeria’s broadband gap while creating new revenue streams.
According to MTN, demand for reliable high-speed internet continues to rise as households, schools, businesses and public institutions increasingly depend on digital connectivity.
“As demand for reliable, high-speed broadband continues to grow, our fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) position us well to drive broadband adoption and capture the significant long-term opportunity,” the company said.
The strategy reflects a broader shift within Nigeria’s telecommunications industry as operators compete not only in mobile services but also in fixed broadband, enterprise connectivity and digital infrastructure.
With broadband now recognised as critical national infrastructure, telecom operators are increasingly positioning themselves as providers of digital platforms that support economic growth rather than simply providers of voice services.
Enterprise and digital services expand revenue mix
While consumer connectivity remains MTN’s largest business, the operator continues to diversify into enterprise digital solutions. Corporate customers are increasingly adopting cloud services, managed connectivity, cybersecurity solutions and digital collaboration tools, creating additional opportunities beyond traditional telecommunications.
The company also continues expanding digital platforms designed to deepen customer engagement through entertainment, education, lifestyle and business applications.
Although fintech revenue declined 7.2% following the temporary suspension of airtime and data lending services, MTN indicated that the underlying mobile financial services business continued to demonstrate healthy fundamentals. The performance suggests that fintech remains an important long-term growth area despite short-term regulatory and operational adjustments.
Together, enterprise services, fintech and digital platforms illustrate MTN’s evolution into a broader technology company whose growth increasingly depends on digital ecosystems rather than conventional telecommunications alone.
Strong profitability reflects operational discipline
The H1 2026 results also demonstrate MTN’s ability to translate commercial growth into stronger financial performance despite Nigeria’s challenging macroeconomic environment.
The operator delivered ₦707.5 billion in profit after tax, representing a 70.6% year-on-year increase, while EBITDA rose to ₦1.67 trillion, improving the EBITDA margin to 55.9%.
The improved profitability reflects disciplined cost management, continued revenue diversification and stronger operational efficiency.
For investors, the results indicate that the company’s substantial investments in spectrum, network modernisation and digital platforms are beginning to generate stronger returns. They also reinforce MTN Nigeria’s position as one of the Nigerian Exchange’s largest and most profitable listed companies.
Building on a record 2025 performance
The H1 results extend the strong momentum established in MTN Nigeria’s 2025 financial year.
In 2025, the operator reported ₦5.20 trillion in service revenue, EBITDA of ₦2.70 trillion and profit after tax exceeding ₦1.1 trillion, marking one of the strongest financial performances in its history.
The company ended last year with 87.3 million subscribers and 53.2 million active data users, making the addition of 4.9 million subscribers and 2.5 million active data users in just six months particularly significant.
The progression also highlights the increasing contribution of data services to overall revenue growth.
As smartphone ownership continues expanding and broadband becomes more accessible, data has evolved from a complementary service into MTN’s primary growth engine.
The company believes this structural trend will continue over the medium term as digital adoption accelerates across households, businesses and government institutions.
The company ended last year with 87.3 million subscribers and 53.2 million active data users, making the addition of 4.9 million subscribers and 2.5 million active data users in just six months particularly significant. The progression also highlights the increasing contribution of data services to overall revenue growth. As smartphone ownership continues expanding and broadband becomes more accessible, data has evolved from a complementary service into MTN’s primary growth engine.
Telecoms at the centre of Nigeria’s digital economy
MTN’s latest performance mirrors wider developments across Nigeria’s digital landscape.
Consumers are using more mobile data than ever before to access financial services, government platforms, healthcare, education, e-commerce and entertainment. Businesses are accelerating digital transformation by adopting cloud technologies, unified communications and digital payment systems. Government agencies are increasingly delivering public services through digital platforms. These structural changes continue to increase dependence on resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
According to industry analysts, operators that combine nationwide coverage with sustained investment in 4G, 5G, fibre and digital services are likely to capture the greatest share of future industry growth. With smartphone penetration on its own network reaching 66.4%, MTN appears well positioned to benefit from this transition.
MTN Nigeria’s outlook anchored on long-term digital growth
Looking ahead, MTN says it remains optimistic about Nigeria’s long-term digital economy despite macroeconomic uncertainties.
The operator expects continued opportunities in smartphone adoption, broadband expansion, enterprise digitalisation, cloud services and financial technology.
The company also intends to continue investing in network modernisation and customer experience to sustain its market leadership.
For Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, the H1 2026 results reinforce an increasingly clear reality: future growth will be driven less by adding voice subscribers and more by enabling a digitally connected economy powered by broadband, data and technology-enabled services.
With 92.2 million subscribers, 55.7 million active data users, ₦2.97 trillion in service revenue, ₦1.70 trillion in data revenue and ₦620.5 billion invested in network expansion within six months, MTN Nigeria has not only consolidated its leadership in Africa’s largest telecom market but also demonstrated how digital connectivity is becoming the foundation of economic activity in Nigeria.
As consumers and businesses continue to migrate online, the operator’s latest performance suggests that its future growth will be defined not simply by the size of its subscriber base, but by its ability to deliver the broadband infrastructure, digital platforms and technology ecosystem required to power Nigeria’s next phase of digital transformation.
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