Revenue from data and Airtel Money services have more than doubled in five years

Voice is still king for Airtel Africa, accounting for the largest share of its revenue between 2019 and 2023. However, the revenue from data and Airtel Money, its mobile money services have more than doubled within this period. Revenue from voice and others didn't record a sharp increase unlike data and Airtel Money.

Source:

Airtel Africa

Period:

2019 - 2023
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An impressive 93% of internet users worldwide engage with social media
  • Social media is not optional; it’s universal, with 93% usage globally.
  • Traditional broadcast TV still sees 89.7% usage, and streaming TV (77.1%) isn’t far behind.
  • Individuals consume online news more than physical newspapers.
  • 66.4% still tune in to radio, showing that audio content still has a loyal base.
  • At 65.3% usage, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are not just for entertainment; they’re part of people’s routines.
  • With 63.7% global engagement, podcasts are now a core part of modern media usage.

MTN Nigeria’s tax bill bounced back in 2024 after a 76% drop in 2023
Key Takeaways:
  • MTN Nigeria's income tax payments consistently rose from ₦75.66 billion in 2018 to ₦170.1 billion in 2022.
  • In 2023, there was a significant drop in the payments, which fell to ₦40.87 billion, the lowest in the period under review.
  • In 2024, MTN Nigeria saw its income tax jump by 267% from 2023's figure.
  • The company achieved its peak income tax payment of ₦170.1 billion in 2022.
  • The income tax for MTN in 2023 dropped by ~76% due to substantial forex loss from naira devaluation.

5G coverage at 11.8% is low, despite extensive coverage of older networks
  • 2G remains the dominant network, covering 94.14% of Nigeria’s population, ensuring basic connectivity across the country.
  • 3G has strong penetration at 89.42%, serving as a bridge between legacy and modern networks.
  • 4G coverage reaches 84.19%, reflecting growing adoption but still lagging behind older technologies.
  • 5G penetration is extremely low at just 11.80%, indicating that its rollout is still in its infancy and mostly limited to urban areas.
  • The high coverage of older networks suggests continued reliance on legacy infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Unlike competitors, Glo prioritises tower ownership over leasing
  • Glo is the only Nigerian mobile operator that prioritises tower ownership.
  • It owns 8,550 towers, far exceeding its competitors combined.
  • MTN, 9mobile, and Airtel own 286, 86, and 61 towers, respectively.
  • Most operators lease towers from third-party providers like IHS Towers and American Tower Corporation, while Glo prefers to control its infrastructure.

IHS Towers controls over 60% of Nigeria’s collocated telecom towers
  • IHS Towers is the largest tower infrastructure provider in Nigeria, with 18,925 towers in 2023.
  • IHS Towers controls 62.3% of the collocated telecom towers in the country.
  • ATC Nigeria follows, operating 8,270 towers, significantly behind IHS Towers.
  • Other players include Africa Mobile Networks (1,326 towers) and smaller firms (1,852 towers).
  • The Nigerian tower market is highly consolidated, with IHS and American Tower Corporation dominating the space.

MTN is the only GSM operator that has aggressively deployed submarine fibre optics in Nigeria, increasing by over 16,000 km in 4 years
  • MTN dominates submarine fibre optic deployment among GSM operators in Nigeria, increasing its network from 1,500 km in 2018 to 17,984 km in 2022
  • Glo had the earliest and largest submarine fibre deployment, peaking at 19,200 km in 2012, but later scaled down to 9,800 km from 2014 onwards
  • Airtel has not invested in submarine fibre, with its network remaining below 25 km throughout the period
  • 9mobile has not deployed any submarine fibre cable since 2012

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