MTN Nigeria invests ₦202bn in Q1 to boost connectivity, service quality

In a bold move to fix call drops, slow data, and spotty coverage, MTN Nigeria has invested ₦202.4 billion into its network in the first quarter of 2025 alone—its biggest quarterly infrastructure investment ever.

This capital expenditure (CAPEX) represents a 159% jump compared to the same period in 2024 and is aimed squarely at network upgrades, infrastructure expansion, and improving service quality across Nigeria.

According to the company, In Q1 2025: ₦133.7 billion profit was recorded, a big recovery from the ₦392.7 billion loss in Q1 2024.

A total subscribers climbed to 84.1 million, while active data users hit 50.3 million, reflecting increasing customer confidence.

Data traffic jumped by 46.4%, with service revenue rising 40.5% to ₦1.06 trillion.

Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s CEO said: “We are pleased with our performance in the first quarter of 2025, which reflects the continued execution of our strategic priorities and the resilience of demand for our services.

“Building on the momentum from Q4 2024, our Q1 results place us firmly on the path to restoring profitability and achieving a positive net asset position within the current financial year, while increasing our investments to improve network and service quality.

“Although macroeconomic uncertainties persist, we are encouraged by the relative stability of the naira during the period and the moderation in inflation following the rebasing of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in January 2025.”

But while the numbers look great, MTN Nigeria is still shaking off the effects of a rough 2024, when currency devaluation led to a ₦925 billion forex loss and forced the telco to cancel dividends for shareholders.

Now, the company hopes better service will win back customer loyalty—and restore investor confidence.

As Nigeria’s demand for data continues to skyrocket—from streaming and remote work to digital banking and AI tools—MTN’s network upgrade could be a game-changer for small businesses, students, and creatives.

According to the network provider, challenges remain; high inflation, regulatory hurdles, and continued forex risks could still dampen momentum.

And while MTN has hinted at potential tariff adjustments, it will need to strike a balance to avoid pricing out its customer base.

For now, the network giant is signaling that service quality—not just profits—is the real priority in 2025.