This transaction, which was exclusively reported as being challenged by Globacom Limited by online news platform Technology Times, is not a threat to market competition, as alleged by Globacom — but rather, a critical intervention to rescue 9mobile from imminent collapse, while preserving subscriber dignity, sustaining jobs, and stabilizing the telecoms sector.
9mobile Is on Life Support—This Lease Keeps It Alive
Over the past several years, 9mobile has struggled under the weight of operational challenges, legacy debt, and dwindling investments. Millions of Nigerians relying on the network have been left in digital limbo, facing call failures, slow internet speeds, and poor service coverage.
The spectrum lease agreement is a strategic monetization of underutilized resources, giving 9mobile a much-needed revenue injection and a chance to refocus on its core operations.
Blocking this deal would accelerate its decline, potentially forcing another operator out of Nigeria’s fragile telecoms market.
Saving Competition by Preventing Collapse
Contrary to Globacom’s position, allowing this deal helps preserve—not undermine competition.
A market without 9mobile would leave consumers with fewer choices and create a deeper imbalance than any temporary spectrum sharing ever could.
The MTN-9mobile lease does not equate to permanent spectrum acquisition. It is a regulated, time-bound, and NCC-approved arrangement designed to uphold service continuity and safeguard market diversity.
Spectrum Is About Capacity, Not Monopoly
In a digital-first economy, spectrum is the fuel for innovation and accessibility.
The NCC maintains robust oversight to ensure that no operator wields spectrum in a way that distorts competition.
Allowing MTN to temporarily utilize 9mobile’s idle spectrum ensures it is put to work in service of the Nigerian people—instead of lying fallow while customers suffer.
A Win for Digital Inclusion
This partnership aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
It supports improved network performance, encourages infrastructure sharing, and strengthens rural connectivity—goals that benefit all, not just the operators involved.
National Daily’s Position: Prioritize Subscribers, Stabilize the Sector
Subscriber welfare, market stability, and national digital growth must be placed ahead of competitive posturing.
Let us act in the best interest of over 11 million 9mobile subscribers, thousands of employees, and Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.