By Samuel Adeola
Telecom operator 9mobile has entered into a strategic roaming partnership with MTN Nigeria to enhance nationwide coverage and improve service quality for its subscribers.
The full rollout is expected to be completed before the end of July.
The three-year commercial agreement, signed between MTN and Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services (EMTS), owners of 9mobile, was officially announced on July 2.
Under the deal, 9mobile customers will be able to connect seamlessly using MTN’s extensive network infrastructure across the country.
At a press briefing, 9mobile CEO, Obafemi Banigbe, disclosed that pilot tests are already underway in select locations.
“We expect that within the month of July, we will be able to have a rollout across the country based on the outcome of the tests that we have done,” he said.
Banigbe emphasized that the roaming process will be automatic. “All you need to do is switch on your phone. If your line is active and has been recharged in the last 90 days, you don’t need to do anything else,” he assured.
Subscribers will retain their 9mobile numbers and billing structures. Banigbe described the agreement as “profitable to MTN and affordable to 9mobile,” clarifying that both companies remain competitors but are collaborating to reduce infrastructure costs, improve operational efficiency, and attract foreign investment.
He also linked the initiative to the federal government’s ongoing push to position Nigeria as a leading destination for foreign direct investment, particularly in the technology sector.
MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola, represented by Chief Enterprise Business Officer Lynda Saint-Nwafor, praised the partnership as a groundbreaking development in the country’s telecom landscape.
He described it as a shift from competition to “co-opetition,” where industry players collaborate to deliver better services.
Toriola also commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Minister of Communications, Bosun Tijani, for fostering a regulatory environment that encourages such innovative collaborations.
