MTN Nigeria has revealed plans to invest around $625 million in 2025 to strengthen its network and expand its capacity nationwide. This announcement was made by Karl Toriola, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, on Thursday, who said that the move emphasized MTN’s long-term engagement in Nigeria in spite of the tough economic and industry challenges.
The telecoms giant considered Africa’s largest by subscribers is moving ahead with this major capital expenditure. This is happening at a time when Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is grappling with financial strain. Negative cash flow was recorded in 2024 by MTN Nigeria and was forced to borrow heavily after the naira depreciated sharply from ₦ 450 to over ₦ 1,600 against the dollar.
Toriolo informed journalists that the following year, about $625 was to be spent to improve service quality. He also pointed out that they had constantly outspent competitors in terms of capacity and quality. During the long run, customers gravitate toward the provider that delivers the best experience.
The investment of N1 trillion will focus on improving network quality, with progress measured against independent benchmarks such as crowdsourced speed tests and third-party assessments. This strategy is designed according to Toriola to capture a greater share of customers’ wallets in a market where most people maintain SIM cards but spend more with providers offering the most reliable service.
MTN has made its recovery from last year’s downturn. The company registered a net profit of ₦ 414.9 billion ($271 million) in the first half of 2025, a sharp reversal from the ₦ 519.1 billion ($339 million) loss posted during the same period in 2024.
Toriolo warned about the sector’s vulnerability despite the rebound. He even warned that unless operators were allowed to adjust tariffs in line with inflation and currency swings, the industry could face serious risks.
He stressed the need for clearer policies, regulatory stability, and easier access to foreign exchange to attract the billions of dollars required for infrastructure such as fibre optic networks and data centres.
The plan for expansion of $625 million highlights MTN’s confidence in Nigeria’s long-term digital growth. It comes during the time when operators across Africa struggle to balance the need of heavy infrastructure with financial pressures. The investment is expected to deliver better network quality and wider coverage for consumers. Rising costs have raised concerns in an already inflation-sensitive market.
This bold decision taken by MTN sets a high bar for competitors. It also marks one of the largest telecom infrastructure commitments in Nigeria this year. Both the scale of opportunity in the country and the resilience required to succeed in one of Africa’s toughest telecom markets are indicated.
