MTN sets December 2026 target for Nigeria airtime advance recovery

MTN Group has set a December 2026 target for its Nigerian Airtime Advance service to return to pre-suspension levels. The group said restoring the service is a key priority for the rest of the year as it works to rebuild the business and strengthen fintech revenue.

The disclosure came in MTN’s trading update for the nine months ended September 30, 2026. MTN described the Nigerian Airtime Advance restoration as a key priority for the rest of the year, alongside sustaining growth in core markets and expanding fintech’s contribution to group earnings. The suspension weighed on fintech results, but the broader segment still grew.

Fintech grows despite Airtime Advance suspension

MoMo revenue, excluding Airtime Advance, grew by 18.5% over the first nine months of 2026. It picked up to 19.9% in the third quarter alone. Revenue from advanced financial services rose by 32.4%.

MTN’s fintech transaction value climbed 36.9% to $512.5 billion despite disruptions caused by the Airtime Advance suspension. MTN credited the performance to wider adoption of digital financial products and a growing contribution from advanced financial services.

Nigeria and Ghana numbers

Nigeria’s service revenue grew 19.7% in the third quarter, up from 13.2% in the previous quarter. It accelerated further to 21.6% in September alone. MTN Nigeria’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose by 32.8%, supported by improved cost discipline and stronger revenue generation.

Ghana also delivered robust results. Service revenue increased 35.7% and EBITDA grew 42.1% in the third quarter.

Group performance and relief payments

At group level, service revenue reached R176.2 billion in constant-currency terms during the nine-month period, a 17.2% increase. Group EBITDA rose 22.9% to R86 billion. The EBITDA margin widened by 2.8 percentage points to 47.9%.

MTN’s total customer base stood at 323 million as of September 30, 2026. The group counted 181.7 million active data subscribers and 70.3 million active Mobile Money users. Data traffic expanded 27.3% to 22,754 petabytes across its networks.

Separately, MTN’s MoMo Payment Service Bank has outlined steps for eligible Nigerians to collect N50,000 monthly Federal Government relief payments through its platform. The company said it is among payment providers facilitating the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), offering beneficiaries a digital platform to receive funds securely.

For consumers and businesses, the recovery timeline matters because Airtime Advance supports urgent airtime purchases and fintech activity. A full restoration by December 2026 would help MTN rebuild a service that was disrupted and support its wider fintech push in Nigeria.