Joy Agwunobi
MTN Group and Airtel Africa have announced agreements to share network infrastructure in Nigeria and Uganda, a move aimed at improving cost efficiency, expanding mobile coverage, and delivering enhanced digital services to millions of customers.
The telecom giants noted that the partnership will particularly benefit remote and underserved areas, ensuring more people gain access to reliable mobile and financial services. This aligns with a broader global shift towards network-sharing models, which enable operators to enhance service quality while reducing operational costs.
Following the agreements in Nigeria and Uganda, both companies are exploring similar opportunities in other African markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and Zambia. The collaboration will include various forms of infrastructure sharing, such as radio access network (RAN) sharing, fibre infrastructure partnerships, and, where needed, joint fibre network development.
Despite sharing infrastructure, the telecom giants reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining independent market operations and healthy competition within the telecom sector. They also emphasised that the agreements would not prevent them from collaborating with other operators in different markets.
Commenting on the initiative, Ralph Mupita, president and CEO of MTN Group highlighted the growing demand for data services across Africa. “At MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress. We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets. To meet this demand, we are investing in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity. That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns,” he stated.
Similarly, Sunil Taldar, CEO Airtel Africa underscored the importance of infrastructure sharing in promoting digital and financial inclusion. “As we compete fiercely in the market with our brand, services, and offerings, we are also building common infrastructure within the permissible regulatory framework. This allows us to create a more robust and extensive digital highway, avoid duplication of expensive infrastructure, and drive operational efficiencies for the benefit of our customers,” he said.
