By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the renewal of the spectrum lease agreement between MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Natcom Development and Investment Limited (NTEL).
The announcement was disclosed in a regulatory filing by MTN Nigeria’s Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, to the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Tuesday. The agreement includes the lease of NTEL’s 5MHz frequency division duplex (FDD) in the 900MHz spectrum band and 10MHz FDD in the 1800MHz spectrum band across 19 states. The renewed lease, valid for two years, will take effect on May 1, 2025.
The NCC also granted approval for a one-year lease expansion of the spectrums to cover the remaining 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), effective January 1, 2025.
MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, expressed satisfaction with the development. “We are pleased with the renewal of the spectrum lease agreement with NTEL, which now includes coverage for all states, including the FCT. The lease enables us to enhance our 3G and 4G user experience as we improve coverage and capacity by utilising the spectrums. This positions us to capitalise on the growing demand for data and improve the delivery of services to our customers,” he said.
The regulatory filing further noted that the renewed agreement underscores MTN Nigeria’s commitment to improving its network capacity and expanding its reach across the country.
