MTN Pledges Capital Investment to Support Nigeria’s $1 Trillion Economy Goal.
From left:MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita; the Hon. Minister, Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr. Karl Toriola, during the visit in Abuja.
Leading technology company, MTN Nigeria has committed to a significant capital expenditure (CAPEX) program for the 2026 fiscal year, aimed at catalysing the Federal Government’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy.
The pledge was made during a high-level strategic engagement between the leadership of MTN Group and the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, in Abuja. MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita; MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola and Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, Tobe Okigbo formed a part of the executive delegation.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Hon. Minister, Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria, speaking with the executive delegation from MTN – Dr Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria CEO (left) and Ralph Mupita, President and CEO, MTN Group.
Ralph Mupita, who led the delegation, stated that the upcoming investment cycle is designed to drastically improve network capacity and service quality. He emphasised that for Nigeria to reach its lofty economic targets, the digital infrastructure must be robust enough to support large-scale innovation and industrial growth across all sectors.
Mupita informed the Honourable Minister that the recent spectrum-trade approvals and the 2025 tariff adjustments were instrumental in creating a stable environment for this investment. He noted that these regulatory reforms have strengthened industry sustainability, allowing the company to prioritise Nigeria as its most critical market for expansion and long-term value creation.
Hon. Minister Tijani lauded the technology company for its consistency but maintained that the government’s support is tied to measurable impact. He also reaffirmed that the government will not compromise on standards that ensure reliable and consistent service delivery to citizens.
MTN Backs Bosun Tijani’s Vision for Africa’s AI Leadership the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, engaged with the top hierarchy of the MTN Group to fast-track the development of a future-ready telecommunications framework for Nigeria. The meeting, which was held in the nation’s capital, explored the intersection of connectivity, emerging technologies, and the long-term sustainability of the ICT sector.
Central to the discussions was the government’s insistence on maintaining a healthy, competitive market. Dr. Tijani observed that while the ministry is keen on supporting major players, it remains committed to fostering an environment where multiple operators can thrive to prevent the emergence of a monopolistic landscape. He stressed that a diversified industry is the only guarantee for continuous innovation and fair pricing for the Nigerian consumer.
A significant highlight of the session was the focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Minister, whose leadership in the AI space was recently celebrated globally by Time Magazine, challenged the MTN leadership to move beyond traditional telephony. He encouraged stronger industry collaboration to deepen Africa’s position in global AI development and to elevate the quality and substance of national conversations around artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita; MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola and Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, Tobe Okigbo, formed a part of the executive delegation to the Hon. Minister, Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, recently.
In response, MTN Group CEO and President Ralph Mupita commended the Minister’s vision, describing him as a leading champion of new technology in Africa. Mupita expressed the company’s keen interest in the National LLM project and sought a deeper partnership pathway to integrate AI into their service delivery models, acknowledging that AI is the next frontier for telecommunications globally.
The dialogue concluded with a mutual commitment to digital skills development. Both parties agreed that a “future-ready” sector is not just about cables and masts but about the human capital required to manage them. As MTN transitions into its “Ambition 2030” strategy, the company pledged to deepen its collaboration with the Ministry in building a digital workforce capable of competing on the global stage.