Mafab Communications, one of Nigeria’s two surprise winners of the country’s first 5G license auction in December 2021, is once again struggling to meet its own rollout timeline. Despite being granted the same opportunity as leading operator MTN and ahead of Airtel’s later entry, Mafab has yet to launch a single 5G service.
Originally, Mafab won its $273 million license from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) with plans to roll out next-generation broadband across select underserved cities. At the time, this move was hailed as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s telecoms sector, which has long been dominated by MTN and Airtel. Both companies have faced criticisms over high tariffs and unstable network performance. A third credible player could have introduced much-needed competition, potentially forcing a shift in pricing, service quality, and customer-centric innovation.
Instead, Mafab has consistently missed critical deadlines. Its most recent promise was to commence operations in Kano and Abuja by the end of the first quarter of 2025. As of now, there are no operational base stations, no 5G signal in the air, and no indication of progress on the ground.
The pattern is becoming familiar. After securing its license in late 2021, the company was granted a five-month extension in 2022 by the NCC, citing its inexperience in telecom operations and challenges related to the licensing process. When Mafab hosted its publicised “official launch” events in January 2023, no actual services followed. The events generated headlines but failed to deliver results.
In December 2024, reports emerged that the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, summoned Mafab’s executives to express the Commission’s growing concern. He reportedly issued a warning: deploy services immediately or face regulatory consequences. Four months later, the silence continues.
Experts suggest that the delays are more about financing than technical incapability. According to Rotimi Akapo, partner and head of the Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) practice at Advocaat Law Practice, “They have not been able to raise the funds required for the deployment. Most of the equipment will have to be imported, and it’s very capital-intensive.”
Setting up a modest 5G network in Nigeria is no small feat. To build an initial 102 base stations, the company’s reported rollout target, Mafab, would need around $122 million. In markets like China, where equipment is domestically manufactured, the cost is much lower. In Nigeria, telecom firms rely on expensive imports, often complicated by currency volatility and import restrictions.
Without its own towers, Mafab would also need to lease infrastructure from providers like IHS Towers or American Tower Corporation, further increasing costs. And while the company once hoped to avoid head-to-head competition with MTN and Airtel by targeting underserved cities like Kano and Abuja, even that strategy now seems unfeasible.
“So far, we have MTN and Airtel 5G routers in Kano, but nothing from Mafab. It was supposed to launch here,” said Abdulrasheed Hussain, Digital Media Manager at Premier Radio Kano.
Some industry watchers believe Mafab could pivot toward fixed wireless broadband, a model that focuses on delivering high-speed internet to homes and businesses. This strategy is already being used by MTN and Airtel to expand access in cities and rural areas. However, even fixed broadband requires extensive fibre network development and reliable backhaul connectivity, which again means more capital.
Per TechCabal, an anonymous investment analyst familiar with the sector said, “First, investors are hesitant to back an unproven company with no track record. Second, Nigeria’s forex crisis makes it difficult for foreign investors to bring in capital. Domestic investors alone may not be able to fund this scale of investment.”
With every missed deadline, Mafab risks becoming irrelevant in Nigeria’s rapidly advancing telecom landscape. The NCC, under increasing pressure to show results, may soon consider revoking the company’s license if no visible progress is made.
Meanwhile, MTN and Airtel are not slowing down. Both continue to invest in 5G infrastructure, expand coverage areas, and test new services that will deepen their foothold in the market. For customers, the dream of more competition and the lower costs or improved quality it could bring is slipping further away.
The question now is whether Mafab can rise to the challenge, secure the funding it needs, and finally begin deployment. If not, its 5G vision may remain just that, an ambition never realised.
