9mobile Secures NCC Approval for National Roaming with MTN, Set for June Launch

After a nearly five-year delay, 9mobile has received approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to launch national roaming services on MTN Nigeria’s infrastructure in June 2025. This critical development, first reported by TechCabal, offers a much-needed boost to 9mobile, whose market share has dwindled significantly to 1.72% in April 2025 from 6.6% in 2020.

The roaming agreement, initially piloted in 2020, will allow 9mobile users to access calls, SMS, and data via MTN’s extensive network in areas where 9mobile’s own coverage is weak or absent. This strategic partnership aims to combat persistent service disruptions and subscriber losses for 9mobile.

According to data, 9mobile’s market share in Nigeria dwindled to a mere 1.72% in April 2025, a steep decline from 6.6% in 2020, the year it initially sought this regulatory approval.

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The journey towards national roaming for 9mobile began in August 2020, when the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) granted a three-month pilot program to MTN and 9mobile to test their roaming capabilities. Although this trial concluded successfully in October 2020, a full commercial rollout faced prolonged delays until the recent NCC approval paved the way for a nationwide launch. This strategic move will enable 9mobile to extend its coverage into areas where its own infrastructure is lacking, aiming to significantly enhance service reliability for its existing subscriber base.

Neither MTN nor 9mobile have provided official comments regarding this development.

At the core of this imminent rollout is a national roaming and spectrum-sharing agreement forged between 9mobile and MTN in August 2020. Under the terms of this deal, 9mobile subscribers will be able to make calls, send SMS messages, and access mobile data by connecting to MTN’s robust infrastructure in regions where 9mobile’s network is weak or non-existent. This partnership is specifically designed to alleviate the persistent service disruptions and coverage gaps that have plagued 9mobile and contributed to its considerable subscriber losses over the years.

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For 9mobile, this agreement represents a vital strategic opportunity to reclaim lost ground without the substantial financial burden of building out its own national infrastructure. It also potentially reopens the race for the third-largest operator in the Nigerian telecom landscape. With Globacom’s market share reportedly hitting an all-time low of 11.9% in April 2025, translating to 20.6 million subscribers, industry analysts suggest the coveted third spot is now fiercely contested.

The agreement also presents a significant strategic advantage for MTN. In exchange for providing access to its infrastructure, MTN will gain the ability to utilize 9mobile’s underutilized spectrum assets across the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands. These specific bands are critical for expanding network coverage and enhancing data capacity, particularly in areas grappling with network congestion.