By Opeoluwa Okudero After nearly five years of regulatory limbo, 9mobile has secured final approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to launch national roaming services on MTN Nigeria’s infrastructure starting June 2025.
A Strategic Shift After Years of Delay
The road to national roaming began with a three-month pilot programme between 9mobile and MTN in 2020. Although the trial ended in October of that year, a full commercial rollout stalled due to regulatory bottlenecks—until now.
The approval allows 9mobile subscribers to access voice, SMS, and data services via MTN’s extensive national infrastructure, especially in areas where 9mobile lacks coverage. This could be a game-changer for 9mobile.
A Mutual Win for 9mobile and MTN
Under the deal, MTN also benefits by gaining access to 9mobile’s underutilised spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands—essential assets for expanding coverage and easing network congestion in high-density areas.
“Now that 9mobile will have access to MTN’s national footprint, it’s all about how well they can package and market their services,” said one telecom executive familiar with the deal. “If they bundle smartly, they can start to claw back users.”
While the partnership gives 9mobile a chance to stay competitive without the burden of building more infrastructure, it also represents a strategic boost for MTN, which serves over 84 million users and is looking to maximise its service capacity.
What This Means for the Industry
This deal is more than just business—it’s a regulatory milestone. For the NCC, it reflects a larger strategy to encourage infrastructure sharing and spectrum efficiency, reducing the cost of service delivery across the sector.
Still, experts caution that regulatory restrictions may apply to how MTN uses the spectrum. The NCC is expected to monitor usage closely to ensure fair play and avoid market distortion.
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