T2 Subscribers Lament As MTN Roaming Deal Falls Short Of Expectations

more than two months after MTN Nigeria and T2 sealed a national roaming agreement designed to give T2 subscribers access to MTN’s infrastructure, many customers are still struggling to restore T2 signals on their devices.

Several subscribers expressed disappointment over the lingering challenges. One customer, who identified himself as Bunmi, lamented that despite the July 3, 2025 announcement of the partnership, he has been unable to use his T2 number. He recalled his attachment to the network, which began during the launch of its popular 080naija campaign, but noted that persistent service failures and the company’s financial troubles forced him to abandon the line until new investors stepped in.

Another subscriber, Esther Gabriel, described a similar experience, stating that she had remained loyal to the network out of nostalgia and its youth-focused brand. As a student at the University of Lagos, she said she admired T2’s support for the arts. Esther explained that she had hoped the roaming deal with MTN would revive her favorite line, but weeks later, she still cannot make calls or use data services.

A source close to the company clarified that customers need to follow specific steps to activate roaming access. For Android devices, users are advised to manually select MTN’s network under mobile settings, restart their phones, and then connect to T2 services via MTN’s infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS-Nigeria) confirmed receiving similar complaints from members. Its president, Hon. Sina Bilesanmi, criticized T2 for failing to adequately educate customers about the procedures required to activate the roaming deal. He argued that the operator should have sent personalized text and audio messages in major local languages to guide its users. He added that with better customer engagement, T2 could regain momentum, as many Nigerians still hold sentimental attachment to the network.

Industry analysts echoed this view, pointing to fresh data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showing that T2 recorded its first subscriber growth in nearly a year in July. The telco added 290,601 new users, largely driven by the roaming agreement, even as MTN, Airtel, and Globacom all lost subscribers during the same period.

Overall, the mobile industry recorded a dip in active subscriptions, falling from 171.5 million in June to 169.1 million in July. Airtel was the worst hit, losing 2.4 million subscribers, while MTN and Globacom recorded smaller declines. MTN remained the market leader with a 52.7 percent share, followed by Airtel at 33.42 percent, Globacom at 12.26 percent, and T2 at a distant 1.61 percent despite its modest rebound.

Nigeria’s teledensity also dropped slightly to 78.11 percent in July from 79.22 percent in June, based on a population estimate of 216 million.

It will be recalled that on July 3, 2025, MTN Nigeria and T2, then still operating as 9mobile, announced the roaming deal with regulatory approval from the NCC. The agreement was expected to provide nationwide access to T2 customers through MTN’s extensive network footprint.