MTN Nigeria emerged as the top performer in mobile network speed across West and Central Africa (WCA) during the second quarter of 2024, achieving an impressive download speed of 95.62 Mbps. Verified by Ookla Speedtest Intelligence, this milestone established Nigeria as the leading operating company (opco) among MTN’s regional operations, showcasing advancements in network performance and technology.
MTN Nigeria further distinguished itself with a median upload speed of 17.01 Mbps, narrowly surpassing MTN Ghana at 16.74 Mbps. Both Nigeria and Ghana led in multi-server latency performance, with Ghana delivering strong results despite not yet launching 5G services.
This exceptional performance across WCA reflects significant improvements in network capabilities, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana, which have climbed the rankings over the last two years. MTN Nigeria’s success is largely attributed to its substantial investment in 5G technology and upgrades to existing infrastructure.
Over the past 18 months, MTN Nigeria expanded its 5G service availability from 17.2% in early 2023 to 35.7% by mid-2024, surpassing South Africa’s 31.6%. This progress was driven by a $120 million investment focused on enhancing broadband access in urban areas. However, 5G adoption in Nigeria remains low, with only 13.9% of users with compatible devices actively utilizing the service, compared to South Africa’s 31.3%.
Challenges such as high data costs, device affordability, and battery life limitations continue to hinder adoption. In response, MTN Nigeria is exploring affordable data plans and financing options to make 5G services more accessible.
Elsewhere in the region, other MTN operations also recorded notable advancements. MTN Ghana tripled its download speeds over two years, driven by infrastructure upgrades and widespread smartphone usage. MTN Benin maintained solid performance, despite slight declines earlier in 2024. Côte d’Ivoire experienced a surge in network speed during the African Football Championship but faced challenges in sustaining those gains. Meanwhile, Cameroon showed only modest improvements, while economic and operational difficulties limited progress in markets such as Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry.
MTN’s achievements come amid economic and political challenges, including inflation, currency devaluation, and infrastructure vandalism, which have increased operational costs. Despite these obstacles, the company remains committed to its Ambition 2025 strategy, aiming for 95% broadband coverage and doubling its mobile data user base across its markets.
With over 217 million subscribers, MTN Nigeria is Africa’s largest mobile market. The company plans to invest $3.5 billion in Nigeria over the next five years to expand 5G coverage, address adoption barriers, and bridge the digital divide.
MTN’s continued focus on 5G rollout and 4G infrastructure enhancement demonstrates its commitment to meeting the region’s growing demand for fast and reliable connectivity.
