Once a formidable player in Nigeria’s internet market, 9mobile now holds just over 1% of the internet subscriber base, raising questions about its future in a market where data has become the lifeblood of telecom operators.
From a peak of 15.5 million internet subscribers in September 2015, the telco has plunged to 1.45 million as of May 2025, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data. In a market of over 141 million internet users, only one in every hundred Nigerians chooses 9mobile.
The decline comes at a time when internet services have become the primary growth driver for telecom operators. Rivals MTN and Airtel have aggressively invested in nationwide fibre, spectrum acquisitions, and 4G/5G expansion to consolidate their dominance. 9mobile, meanwhile, has struggled with infrastructure gaps, network quality complaints, and years of stagnant innovation.
Now, the company is betting on a national roaming deal with MTN Nigeria to claw its way back into relevance.
Roaming: A lifeline or a stopgap?
In July 2025, 9mobile signed a three-year roaming agreement with MTN, allowing it to use MTN’s radio infrastructure in areas where it lacks coverage. The move gives 9mobile near-nationwide reach without the capital-intensive burden of building new towers—an arrangement it hopes will stabilise its shrinking internet user base.
“We’re not freeloading,” said 9mobile CEO Obafemi Banigbe at the joint press briefing. “It’s a commercial agreement. Both parties are paying for what they use. It’s a win-win.”
For years, poor coverage and inconsistent data speeds have plagued 9mobile’s service, driving internet users to competitors. The MTN deal addresses that weakness, but only partially. 9mobile hopes to retain existing internet users, attract new ones, and buy time to execute a deeper recovery strategy.
Real recovery, analysts say, will depend on 9mobile’s ability to improve user experience and market itself as a credible alternative.
“They are too far behind to build infrastructure,” said Ladi Okuneye, CEO of UniCloud Africa. “Their cash is best used for building on quality of service and a good user experience. I don’t think they will have enough cash to do both.”
Can roaming lead to a comeback?
The roaming agreement is part of a broader four-phase transformation plan, including infrastructure upgrades, core network overhaul, billing system modernisation, and a refreshed product suite. Banigbe also revealed that the company has secured investor commitments worth $3 billion for network transformation over the next four years.
Whether the strategy is enough remains uncertain. Though there are precedents for network-sharing turnarounds—such as South Africa’s Cell C using MTN’s virtualised RAN to revive its prepaid business—the scale of 9mobile’s decline, and the intensity of Nigeria’s data wars, make this a much tougher climb.
Rival operators like Airtel and Glo have not only secured scale but also brand trust and deep penetration in underserved areas. Meanwhile, Starlink, Spectranet, and other broadband challengers are offering alternatives in the fixed-wireless space.
Okuneye believes the best recovery strategy will be for 9mobile to consider operating like a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) instead of investing in new infrastructure.
“If they make it, they will need to renew the roaming deal (after three years) and probably sign others,” Okuneye said. “They essentially need to look at themselves as an MVNO. It is best they leverage someone else’s infrastructure.”
What’s at stake
Beyond commercial competition, 9mobile’s recovery—or lack thereof—has broader economic implications. The telecom sector is one of Nigeria’s biggest contributors to GDP and tax revenue. A weak or failing player reduces the sector’s resilience and limits customer choice. Regulators have long pushed for infrastructure sharing to lower costs, improve rural coverage, and boost digital inclusion.
Speaking at the roaming sharing partnership announcement, MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, said this is the first deal of its kind in West, East, and Central Africa. “This is not just a technical integration. It’s a shift in how we think about competition—towards collaboration,” he said.
9mobile’s roaming deal could become a model for how struggling telecom operators survive in the age of data. But the real test will be execution. Can 9mobile upgrade fast enough? Can it offer value that convinces users to return? Can it grow from 1% to 5%, or even 10%, of the market?
These are questions only time and customers can answer.
But one thing is clear: without a significant turnaround in its internet business, 9mobile’s future as a telecom operator in Nigeria remains uncertain. And in a country where data is increasingly synonymous with opportunity, relevance, and growth, staying small is no longer an option.
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