As Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand non-oil revenue and strengthen tax collection, MTN Nigeria has emerged as one of the country’s largest corporate taxpayers after remitting N878.7bn in taxes, levies, and duties in the 2025 financial year.
The disclosure was contained in the company’s 2025 Sustainability Report, which showed that the payment represented a 15 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
According to the report, MTN Nigeria paid N543.9bn in taxes and levies in 2023 before the figure rose to N764bn in 2024. The latest increase means the company’s tax contributions have climbed by about 62 per cent within two years.
The company’s improved financial performance supported the higher tax payments. MTN Nigeria recovered from foreign exchange-related losses to record a profit after tax of N1.11tn in 2025. Total revenue also increased by 54.8 per cent to N5.20tn, while operating profit rose to N2.08tn from N778.2bn recorded in the previous year.
The N878.7bn paid to federal and state authorities covered company income tax, value-added tax, spectrum fees, import duties, Nigerian Communications Commission levies, and contributions under the Rural and Urban Terrestrial Infrastructure tax credit scheme.
MTN Nigeria also deepened its participation in infrastructure development through the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme. Under the arrangement, the telecom operator committed N202.8bn towards the reconstruction of the 110-kilometre Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
The company stated that the Rural and Urban Terrestrial Infrastructure scheme achieved 50 per cent completion in 2025 after securing approval for an additional N23bn tax credit. The funding is expected to support fibre and telecommunications infrastructure expansion in underserved communities.
The report also highlighted MTN Nigeria’s growing contribution to local economic development. About 62 per cent of the company’s procurement spending in 2025 went to Nigerian suppliers, up from 59.6 per cent in 2024.
According to the company, the policy supports the Federal Government’s local-content agenda and benefits sectors such as civil construction, logistics, software services, and power infrastructure.
MTN Nigeria’s operational footprint also expanded during the year, with active base stations rising to 2,087 nationwide. Active mobile subscribers reached 85.4 million by the third quarter of 2025, while active data users increased to 51.1 million. Smartphone penetration stood at 65.1 per cent.
The telecom company also renewed its 800MHz spectrum licence for another 10 years, extending its validity to December 2034.
