MTN Nigeria said it invested N900bn in network expansion and maintenance in 2025 and plans to spend more than N1tn in 2026.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, argued that the recent tariff increase was necessary to prevent the telecommunications company and the wider industry from slipping into insolvency.
Toriola disclosed this during the company’s recent stakeholder engagement on internet data spending, themed ‘Data on Trial’, held in Lagos. The event featured a law court-style debate session hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and attended by content creators, MTN subscribers and regulators.
Speaking on the rationale for the tariff adjustment, Toriola said the company faced severe financial pressure before the increase was approved. He explained, “The tariff increase was implemented for one primary reason: to allow the industry to survive. At the point in time when the tariff increase was implemented, we practically could not pay our bills.”
He added, “There was not enough money coming into MTN’s accounts to pay our bills for diesel, rent and software licences. We were effectively bankrupt. Without that tariff increase, we would have had to shut down the network.”
