Nigeria, May 29 -- 9mobile has received permission to begin national roaming services using MTN's network.

This comes after years of waiting and facing challenges in Nigeria's telecom industry.

The development comes at a time when 9mobile is struggling to stay in the game.

Its share of the market has dropped sharply, from 6.6% in 2020 to just 1.72% by April 2025.

With such a sharp decline in users, the new roaming deal is seen as a lifeline.

In 2020, 9mobile and MTN tried out a short-term national roaming test that lasted for three months.

But the pilot ended without further action, and 9mobile continued to lose subscribers.

Now, with more pressure to survive, the company is moving forward with the full partnership.

This agreement...