9mobile loses over 300,000 subscribers as roaming deal with MTN faces delays

• Published On: 10 May 2025 at 06:46

Embattled cellular company 9mobile continues to lose users at an alarming rate, while regulatory delays stymie a critical national roaming agreement with industry heavyweight MTN Nigeria.

According to recent data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, 9mobile lost 318,825 users between February and March 2025, decreasing its total customer base to 2.96 million.

The dip has further reduced the company's market share from 1.9% in January to 1.72%, highlighting its rapid collapse from a once-dominant role in Nigeria's telecom sector.

The proposed roaming agreement with MTN, which would offer 9mobile access to MTN's larger infrastructure, is considered as a lifeline for the struggling provider. Despite having already specified technical and commercial conditions, both businesses are still awaiting NCC regulatory permission.

The NCC is expected to analyse the partnership's alignment with important national goals, such as the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, as well as its ability to extend rural coverage, improve infrastructure sharing, and network quality. The approval procedure, which usually lasts six to twelve weeks, comprises document review, technical analysis, and prospective stakeholder meetings.

Sources familiar with the situation say regulatory caution arises from concerns about competitive balance. "The NCC is delaying because it knows the deal gives MTN a strategic advantage," a telecom executive told this daily under the condition of anonymity. "Allowing MTN access to 9mobile's spectrum could tilt the market in its favour."

If approved, the roaming arrangement would expand on a successful 2020 experiment in Ondo State, in which users from both networks were able to roam using shared infrastructure for three months. The latest proposal apparently calls for shared usage of 9mobile's 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz spectrum bands.

9mobile's problems have been exacerbated by poor network quality, minimal investment from its new owners, LightHouse Capital, and persistent customer unhappiness. The company's retention efforts, including special incentives and assistance programs, have done little to slow the exodus. Even porting services have been hampered by low network availability.

9mobile, once a big operator with over 23 million members as Etisalat Nigeria in 2015, has lost more than 20 million users in less than ten years. With its market position deteriorating and the MTN acquisition hanging in the balance, analysts believe time is running out for the operator to secure a road to recovery.