Nigeria’s mobile phone market leader MTN retains Africa’s digital solutions top firm
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria’s mobile telephone market leader MTN has also retained its position as the largest mobile network operator in Africa, consolidated by its reach in the most populous country on the continent, gleaned from MTN ‘ESG’ Facts behind the Sustainability reports.
The sixth consecutive edition of the ‘ESG’ released released @ NGX Event centre in Lagos, hosted by Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX), shows that as of March 2025, MTN has 84.6 million active telephone subscribers, a strong dominance in Nigeria with a 51.39 per cent market share, as well as highest internet user base in the country, making it the leader of Africa’s digital solutions.
MTN has the largest and most valuable platform in Nigeria, where it has the largest fibre network which other operators depend on.
The NGX event was to reaffirm MTN’s position as a leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and impact delivery in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
MTN made significant strides across core sustainability metrics in the past year, to help chart Nigeria’s path for the future.
Speakers at the event included Jude Chiamaka (NGX Chief Executive Officer), Olufemi Shobanjo (NGX Regulation CEO), God’s Time Iwenekhai (NGX Market Head of Issuer Regulation), Sam Chidoka (Anchoria Advisory Service Managing Director/CEO), Abubakar Mahmoud (MTN Social Ethic and Sustainability Committee Chairman), Tobechukwu Okigbo (MTN Chief Corporate Service & Sustainability Officer), and Esosa Balogun (MTN General Manager of Risk Management).
The report analysed the commitment of MTN Nigeria on sustainable business practices, climate change, inequality, governance lapses and social impact and competition issues.
As climate change and house sustainability challenges continue to reshape global priorities, ESG factors will become critical decision making today.
“Sustainable investment accounts for more than three per cent of global access under management; the momentum is only expected to accelerate the feature of finance that must balance with purpose,” the report said.
“Integrating ESG principles is no longer a choice, but essential for sustainable value creation and national competitiveness as business legal regulators and indicators share responsibility to drive the transformation and work together to not only build a capital market, but draw investment, support societal progress and environment.”
Shobanjo explained that the critical roles sustainability plays in shaping capital markets, economy and society, as a commitment to future generation.
Okigbo described MTN as proudly of Nigerian and African origin, not being South Africa’s firm.
He said MTN has taken five deliberate steps to localise the organisation and have more Nigerians participate in securing 11 per cent shared value in stock markets, which unfortunately could not take place, hoping for the future.
His words: “Embedding in ‘ESG’ enabled people to share in the organisation benefits generated through it. The firm pledge “50, 50” in recruitment and training to give room for gender equality and more women participation, creating programmes that will bring those that left work for two to three years, in the cost of caring for their children back into the workforce, also given opportunities to reintegrate into playing a role in the economy.
“The course of the materiality test carried out shows that Nigerians were not interested in any other things than privacy and consumer rights. They want to be sure their data is secure and used in a responsible manner. The way to solve the issues is treating customers fairly.”
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