MTN Nigeria's revenue rises 25.9% to ₦2.99tn in H1 2026 despite falling ARPU

MTN Nigeria increased service revenue by 25.9% to ₦2.99 trillion in the first half of 2026, while its subscriber base grew 8.9% to 92.2 million. However, the average revenue per user (ARPU) fell 8.8% to $3.41 in Q2 2026, with local-currency ARPU down 1.7% to ₦5,101.

The revenue boost came mainly from adding 7.5 million new subscribers, many of whom are price-sensitive amid Nigeria’s 15.9% inflation as of June 2026. Earlier tariff increases of 50% effected in early 2025 have now fully annualised, reducing their contribution to growth. This shift means MTN must rely on getting existing customers to consume more data and services rather than just raising prices. Meanwhile, Airtel Nigeria’s ARPU rose 33.3% in Q2 2026, showing a different phase of its tariff‑driven growth cycle.

In response, MTN is pushing higher data usage—active data users rose and data revenue jumped 38.4% in H1 2026—while smartphone penetration reached 66.4%. The company is also expanding fibre-to-home broadband and aims to grow fintech users from about five million to 30 million over the medium term. For consumers, expect more data bundles and new financial‑service offers, but also watch for affordability pressures as the market matures.

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/09/02/mtn-nigeria-making-more-money-earning-less-from-customer/