Telecom giants MTN Group and Airtel Africa have entered into a network infrastructure-sharing agreement in Nigeria and Uganda, a move aimed at expanding mobile connectivity, particularly in underserved areas.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, both companies described the partnership as a strategic effort to optimise costs and extend mobile services to remote and rural regions where digital access remains limited.
The partnership includes Radio Access Network sharing, as well as commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing. Where necessary, new fibre networks may also be constructed to support improved connectivity.
MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, noted that the deal aligns with the company’s vision of delivering digital solutions to drive Africa’s progress.
“At MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress and will continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets,” Mupita said.
“To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers. That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns.”
Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, also highlighted the advantages of infrastructure sharing, stating that it would enhance digital and financial inclusion while reducing operational costs.
“As we compete fiercely in the market on the strength of our brand, services, and our offerings, we are building common infrastructure within the permissible regulatory framework,” Taldar said.
“This provides a more robust and extensive digital highway to drive digital and financial inclusion while avoiding duplication of expensive infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and benefits for our customers.”
MTN and Airtel hold significant shares of Nigeria’s telecom market, controlling 51.79% and 34.11%, respectively. Both companies have faced foreign exchange losses due to the depreciation of the naira, making cost-saving strategies like infrastructure sharing even more critical.
Beyond Nigeria and Uganda, the telecom giants are exploring similar partnerships in Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and Zambia.
Airtel Africa currently operates in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, serving over 156 million customers, while MTN Group has a presence in 19 countries across Africa and the Middle East, with a subscriber base of 287 million
