By Peace Udugba
Nigeria’s drive toward deeper broadband penetration and digital inclusion received a major boost in 2025 as expanded its network coverage to 93.7 per cent of the population and committed N2.7 billion to social-impact initiatives across the country.
According to the company’s 2025 Sustainability Report, the telecommunications giant increased its coverage from 93 per cent recorded in 2024 through the continued rollout of base stations in rural and underserved communities.
As part of the expansion, MTN Nigeria deployed 229 integrated renewable, solar-powered rural telephony sites under its Project Zero initiative, aimed at improving connectivity in remote areas. Broadband penetration across the company’s network footprint reached 90.1 per cent, while 4G population coverage remained stable at about 82 per cent.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission also showed that MTN Nigeria accounted for more than half of the country’s active GSM connections in 2025, serving approximately 89.64 million active mobile lines nationwide.
The company also expanded its corporate social responsibility footprint during the year, with the reaching more than 534,000 beneficiaries through programmes focused on community infrastructure, maternal healthcare, youth empowerment, and digital access.
Under its STEM scholarship programme, 300 students studying science and technology-related courses in public tertiary institutions received scholarships worth N300,000 annually until graduation.
MTN Nigeria also sustained its Scholarship for Blind Students and Top-10 UTME Scholarship initiatives, while distributing more than 25,000 learning devices in collaboration with state governments.
Child online safety also emerged as a major focus area in 2025 through the company’s “Help Children Be Children” campaign, introduced in response to growing concerns over online grooming and exposure to harmful digital content.
The initiative featured school sensitisation programmes, parental workshops, and partnerships with civil society organisations aimed at promoting safer digital experiences for children.
Meanwhile, the company disclosed that it spent more than N1 billion on infrastructure repairs and security interventions following 9,218 fibre cuts recorded nationwide during the year.
According to the report, the incidents were largely linked to vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure, which continue to pose challenges to service delivery across the sector.
