Nigeria’s drive to increase non-oil revenue is receiving strong support from major private companies, with MTN Nigeria emerging as one of the country’s biggest corporate taxpayers.
According to the company’s 2025 Sustainability Report, MTN Nigeria paid a total of N878.7 billion in taxes, levies, and duties to federal and state governments during the 2025 financial year. The amount represents a 15 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
The latest figure highlights the growing role of the private sector in helping the government improve revenue generation as authorities continue fiscal reforms aimed at reducing dependence on oil income.
MTN’s tax payments have increased steadily over the last two years. The telecom giant paid N543.9 billion in 2023 before the figure rose to N764 billion in 2024. By 2025, the amount climbed further to N878.7 billion, marking a total increase of about 62 per cent within two years.
The company’s stronger financial performance contributed significantly to the rise in tax payments. MTN Nigeria recovered from earlier foreign exchange-related losses and recorded a profit after tax of N1.11 trillion in 2025.
Its total revenue also grew sharply by 54.8 per cent to reach N5.20 trillion, while operating profit increased from N778.2 billion to N2.08 trillion.
The taxes and levies paid by the company covered several areas, including company income tax, value-added tax, import duties, spectrum fees, Nigerian Communications Commission charges, and contributions to government-backed infrastructure schemes.
Part of the contribution was tied to the Rural and Urban Terrestrial Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, which supports the expansion of telecommunications and fibre infrastructure across underserved areas in the country.
MTN revealed that the project reached 50 per cent completion in 2025 after receiving approval for an additional N23 billion tax credit to continue infrastructure expansion.
The telecom company also participated in the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme. Under the arrangement, MTN committed N202.8 billion toward the reconstruction of the 110-kilometre Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
Beyond tax payments, the company said it increased support for local businesses by directing 62 per cent of its procurement spending to Nigerian suppliers in 2025, up from 59.6 per cent recorded the previous year.
According to MTN, the local procurement strategy supports government local-content policies while creating opportunities for businesses involved in construction, logistics, software services, and power infrastructure.
The report also showed continued growth in the company’s operations and customer base. MTN Nigeria expanded its network footprint to 2,087 active base stations nationwide.
By the third quarter of 2025, the company had 85.4 million active mobile subscribers, while active data users rose to 51.1 million. Smartphone penetration among subscribers also increased to 65.1 per cent.
During the year, MTN Nigeria renewed its 800MHz spectrum licence for another 10 years, extending its validity until December 2034.
Industry analysts believe the company’s growing investments, tax contributions, and infrastructure expansion will continue to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy and support government revenue targets.
