MTN has disclosed that since Nigeria’s telecom revolution started, about 25 years now, it has paid over N7 trillion in taxes, underscoring not only its immense contribution to the country’s fiscal strength but also its role as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic development.

MTN Chief Financial Officer, Modupe Kadiri, disclosed this in Lagos yesterday at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce August 2026 Breakfast Forum themed: ‘Building Local Content Together 25 Years of Shared Growth’.

Kadiri, while emphasising the importance of local content development, which reflects a forward-looking strategy aimed at empowering Nigerian talents and businesses by prioritising indigenous participation in the telco operations, disclosed that MTN spent over N2.7 trillion in 2025, with 62 per cent of its procurement expenditure directed to local suppliers, up from the 9.6 per cent recorded in 2024. He said the firm has equally invested over $3 billion in digital infrastructure across the country.

Kadiri said the figures represented different aspects of the company’s contribution to the economy, ranging from taxation to employment, infrastructure and enterprise developments, and Nigerian ownership.

The CFO said: “When companies pay taxes, national institutions are supported; when infrastructure is built, economic capacity expands; when Nigerians lead businesses, professional capacity grows and when Nigerians own shares, participation in wealth creation increases.”

Kadiri noted that the increase from 9.6 per cent to 62 per cent represented significant progress, noting that the remaining 38 per cent of procurement spending presents a huge opportunity to strengthen local capacity, specifically in technology-intensive areas.

The CFO stated that most of MTN’s technology requirements are now fulfilled by local suppliers, unlike in the early years of the company’s operations when such requirements were largely handled by foreign contractors.

According to him, the first phase of telecommunications local content was largely driven by network rollout, site acquisition, distribution, civil works, marketing, support, logistics and operational services.

The CFO argued that the rise in local procurement should be measured by the extent to which such spending builds sustainable Nigerian businesses, skills, technology and employment and not simply by the amount of money retained in the country.

He explained that MTN Nigeria’s increasing reliance on local suppliers had created commercial demand that encouraged indigenous businesses to improve quality, enhance governance, employ more Nigerians and invest in equipment, technology and specialised skills.

“The real measure is not the invoice. The real measure is actually the capability that remains in the economy after the investment is made,” he said.

Kadiri stressed some categories remain difficult to source locally at scale because of the highly technology-dependent nature of the telecommunications industry.

He identified telecommunications equipment, devices, software and specialised technologies as areas where Nigeria still needs to develop greater domestic manufacturing and technical capacity.

The CFO, however, noted that the challenge was not necessarily a failure of local content policy but an opportunity to move the sector into a more sophisticated phase of local production.

Kadiri said the next phase should focus on higher-value activities, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data centres, fibre, 5G, cybersecurity, software, digital content and other technology solutions.

Earlier in her welcome address, Chairperson, NACC, Dr Ijeoma Chidenwa, commended MTN’s strides in Nigeria in the last 25 years, especially in building capacity for local players.

Emphasising that shared prosperity is the cornerstone for any development, she used the moment to stress the importance of peaceful collaboration between Nigeria and South Africa.

Speaking as a panellist on the theme of the event, Founder of Blackhouse Media (BHM), Adekunle Ayeni, reflected on how observing MTN’s global presence reshaped local ambition.

“Blackhouse Media was named after a Yoruba proverb emphasising local empowerment and global vision… Observing South African-born enterprises expand globally through their Nigerian operations showed us that African companies do not just have to compete locally; they can build organisations capable of competing alongside global powerhouses.”

According to the CEO of Seams and Stitches, Yemi Chukwurah, this catalytic effect extends directly into local manufacturing and supply chains.

She disclosed that Nigerian vendors servicing MTN’s vast requirements, from branded merchandise to uniforms, have seen their operations scale dramatically. “By demanding rigorous quality control, high volume, and financial accountability, MTN pushed domestic suppliers to build world-class production capabilities,” she added.

Also as a panellist, Group COO, CWG, Afolabi Sobande, noted that similarly, in the technology sector, indigenous IT firms like theirs (CWG PLC) evolved from basic hardware distributors into regional tech powerhouses, highlighting the institutional trust and technical scale granted to local partners by MTN.

“Managing MTN’s critical infrastructure, data centres, and core systems raised the operational standard for local IT… That partnership allowed us to build the capacity to expand across Uganda, Ghana, and Cameroon,” Sobande stated.