ntel, formerly Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), is making an unusual bet in Nigeria’s telecom market: its future lies less in selling phone calls than in leasing the infrastructure behind them.
The former mobile operator and subsidiary of NatCom Development & Investment Limited said on Monday, during its relaunch, that it is transitioning into a digital infrastructure company, focusing on towers, fibre networks, power systems and real estate as operators increasingly look beyond subscriber growth for long-term profits.
The move marks another chapter in the company’s long journey. NATCOM Consortium acquired NITEL and its mobile arm, Mtel, for $252 million in 2015, inheriting valuable assets including fibre infrastructure, spectrum licences and real estate.
Launched as a 4G LTE operator in 2016, ntel struggled to compete with larger rivals and eventually fell into financial distress. Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), one of its largest creditors, later assumed control and is now backing the company’s latest turnaround.
Under the new strategy, ntel has reorganised into three businesses: Beam, Titan, and Eden. Rather than relying primarily on consumer telecom services, the company wants to generate long-term revenue by commercialising its infrastructure assets, joining a growing global trend of telecom operators making more money from the networks they own than from the phone calls they carry.
Beam will house the telecommunications business, including the rollout of WakaGo, a fixed wireless access service that uses eSIM technology and Tarana Wireless’ AirFibre platform to deliver broadband. The technology is supplied by US-based telecommunications company Tarana Wireless.
“We’re simply using their technology, just as MTN buys network equipment from Huawei,” Soji Maurice-Diya, CEO of ntel, told TechCabal in a telephone interview. He said WakaGo is designed to serve frequent Nigerian travellers, allowing them to stay connected across 190 countries using eSIM-enabled devices and international roaming capabilities.
Eden will manage ntel’s real estate business, including commercial office properties in Victoria Island, Lagos, one of Nigeria’s main business districts; residential developments in Wuse 2, Abuja, a high-end neighbourhood in the nation’s capital; and Nova Place, a mixed-use commercial and residential development in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State and a major hub for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Titan, meanwhile, will commercialise ntel’s communications infrastructure, which includes more than 600 telecom towers and over 3,500 kilometres of fibre network, alongside its power assets.
“Our towers connect people. Our digital services connect people. Through Eden, we will continue developing infrastructure and real estate that also supports connectivity,” Yvonne Alozie, Head of Business Operations at ntel, said at the event.
The strategy reflects a broader shift across the global telecommunications industry. As traditional mobile revenues come under pressure from over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom and FaceTime, operators are increasingly looking to monetise infrastructure rather than rely solely on consumer subscriptions.
Across Africa, telecom operators have increasingly separated infrastructure ownership from retail mobile services. In October 2022, MTN Group launched Bayobab (formerly MTN GlobalConnect) as a standalone wholesale infrastructure business to commercialise its more than 100,000 kilometres of fibre network across Africa.
Earlier, in June 2022, MTN South Africa sold and leased back 5,709 towers to IHS Towers in a deal worth about $412 million, freeing up capital while retaining access to the sites. In February 2026, the telco announced plans to acquire IHS Towers. The deal is now nearing completion, with IHS expected to operate as a separate entity after the acquisition.
Airtel Africa has pursued a similar strategy over the past decade, selling thousands of towers across markets including Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Tanzania to independent tower companies such as Helios Towers and American Tower Corporation (ATC). These transactions have allowed operators to unlock capital, reduce maintenance costs, and focus on delivering mobile services while specialist infrastructure companies manage the physical assets.
For ntel, infrastructure sharing is not only a business opportunity but could also benefit consumers. As more operators share towers, fibre and power infrastructure, the cost of building and maintaining networks falls. Over time, those lower operating costs could translate into more affordable voice and data services for subscribers while improving network quality and coverage.
“This is much more than a relaunch,” Alozie said. “It is a bold new beginning built around strategic partnerships, renewed ambition and the determination to move beyond traditional telecommunications into a broader future of connectivity.”
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