MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has announced it will lease frequency spectrum from T2 Mobile Limited, formerly known as 9Mobile, beginning October 1, 2025.
The lease agreement covers 5MHz frequency division duplex (FDD) in the 900MHz band and 15MHz FDD in the 1800MHz band. The arrangement, approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), will run for three years.
MTN said the lease is critical for its national roaming agreement with T2, which allows T2 subscribers to use MTN’s network in areas where T2’s infrastructure is limited. The deal is expected to help MTN manage increased traffic from T2 customers while expanding broadband access nationwide.
Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, said the move reflects the company’s commitment to strengthening network capacity and promoting collaboration in the telecom sector.
“This milestone aligns with our Ambition 2025 strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality connectivity in a cost-efficient and sustainable way,” he noted.
MTN also confirmed it will not renew its spectrum lease with Natcom Development and Investment Ltd (Ntel), which expires in November 2025. That agreement covered spectrum in 17 states.
Meanwhile, T2 Mobile recorded a subscriber gain of over 290,000 in July 2025, reversing months of decline. Despite the increase, the operator remains the fourth-largest in Nigeria with 1.61% market share, while MTN leads with 52.7%.
Nigeria’s overall active mobile subscriptions fell to 169.1 million in July from 171.5 million in June, according to NCC data, with teledensity dropping to 78.11%.
