MTN Nigeria has emerged as a major growth engine for MTN Group after delivering a sharp increase in revenue and profitability in the first half of 2026, supported by rising data consumption, subscriber growth and sustained demand for digital services.

MTN Group, on Monday, August 24, 2026, reported a 17.5 per cent increase in service revenue to R115.3 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2026, while adjusted headline earnings per share rose 21.3 per cent to 793 cents.

Nigeria was among the strongest-performing markets within the group, with MTN Nigeria recording a 25.9 per cent increase in service revenue to approximately N2.99 trillion.

The Nigerian operation also expanded its customer base by 4.9 million subscribers to 92.2 million, reinforcing its position as one of MTN Group’s most strategically important markets.

Data revenue increased by 38.4 per cent during the period, while active data users rose 9.3 per cent to 55.7 million. Average data consumption per subscriber also climbed 15.2 per cent to 14.8GB, reflecting the increasing reliance of Nigerian consumers and businesses on mobile connectivity.

The growth in data usage comes amid the rapid expansion of digital activities across the country, including mobile banking, e-commerce, social media, remote work, online education, streaming and cloud-based business services.

MTN said the group’s first-half performance was supported by strong growth across several key markets, particularly Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda.

The performance also strengthened the group’s financial position sufficiently for its board to approve a R6 billion share buyback programme.

For MTN, the Nigerian market remains particularly important because of its large population, growing smartphone penetration and increasing demand for data and digital services.

The company’s latest numbers suggest that Nigeria’s expanding digital economy is creating significant opportunities for telecommunications operators, although the industry continues to face challenges ranging from foreign exchange volatility and energy costs to infrastructure investment requirements.

Telecoms industry analyst, Gboyega Emmanuel said MTN Nigeria’s performance demonstrates that data has become the primary growth engine of the telecommunications industry.

 “The 38.4 per cent increase in data revenue, combined with higher usage per customer, indicates that subscribers are not merely increasing in number but are consuming substantially more digital services.”

Adebayo Muriithi, telecoms and technology analyst also stated that the 70.6 per cent increase in profit after tax is particularly significant because it shows that revenue expansion is being supported by improved operating leverage.

“As network investments mature and traffic volumes rise, operators can potentially generate stronger returns from existing infrastructure.

With MTN Nigeria delivering strong revenue and profit growth and the wider group reporting a 17.5 per cent rise in service revenue, the first half of 2026 represents a strong period for the telecommunications giant.