In a move to enhance mobile connectivity particularly in remote and rural areas across Africa, MTN Group and Airtel Africa have entered a network infrastructure-sharing agreement in Nigeria and Uganda.
The rare collaboration underscores a broader shift toward cost optimisation among African telecom giants as currency devaluation and economic headwinds strain profitability.
Speaking on the partnership, MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Mupita, said operators on the continent were seeing sustained demand for data services.
He said, “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.
“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.”
MTN and Airtel, which control 51.79 per cent and 34.11 per cent of Nigeria’s telecom market, respectively, have both faced significant foreign exchange losses due to the naira’s depreciation.
On his part, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said, “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.
“This provides a more robust and extensive digital highway to drive digital and financial inclusion at the same time avoiding duplication of expensive infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and benefits for our customers.”
Beyond Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring further network-sharing opportunities in other African markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and Zambia. The companies are considering various models, including radio access network (RAN) sharing and agreements focused on fiber infrastructure sharing and construction of new fiber networks.
Airtel Africa operates in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, serving over 156 million customers.
MTN Group’s core operations are in 19 countries in Africa and the Middle East, serving 287 million customers.