IHS Towers, a global leader in shared communications infrastructure, has asked T2Mobile (formerly 9mobile) to quit 2,576 tower sites following an agreement review. The directive, which commenced in the third quarter of 2025, comes as a major blow to the telecoms company’s rebranding process.
IHS Towers, in its Q3 financial report, explained the decision to cut ties with T2Mobile and a request to clear parts of its long-standing debts. In the report, IHS described the telecoms company as its smallest Key Customer in Nigeria.
The development significantly piles pressure on T2Mobile, which has been positioning itself for a dramatic return with key deals. Since its Etisalat days, the company has struggled with debts, a shrinkage in its subscriber base and a loss of both market and investors’ trust.
As the exit of more than 2,500 tower ties helps T2Mobile reduce operational costs, it is a major blow to its potential rise in the Nigerian telecoms market. And amid this, the telecoms company has struggled to make a significant impact on customer satisfaction
For instance, the T2mobile saw a temporary service disruption that affected its data services. Subscribers experienced long hours of disruption in voice and data connections. While normal services have been restored, experts noted that the company is expected to stay ahead of network glitches if it aims to regain its lost position.
From a broad view of challenges affecting the Nigerian telecoms industry, losing infrastructure puts T2mobile in a bad shape.
As T2mobile continues to bank on various resurgence plans, subscribers are potentially aiming for a new era. However, consistent network downtime has affected the Nigerian telecom industry due to vandalism of telecom infrastructure and instances of fibre cuts. T2 shares in these challenges, and the latest development further makes operating within these challenges difficult.
For the telecoms company, losing access to leased sites can translate into dropped calls and slow data speed, leading to more customers heading to the exit door. While T2mobile is yet to make a public statement on how it plans to manage coverage after the exit.
The company posted revenues of $455.1 million for Q3 2025, up 8.3% year-on-year. Organic growth added $27.6 million, while inorganic revenue dropped $12.8 million after its Kuwait exit. Tenant churn tied to 9mobile made up 2,576 of 3,529 total site losses during the quarter, cutting IHS’ total tenants to 57,691
Also Read: MTN Nigeria to lease spectrum from T2 Mobile in a three-year deal.
Positives for T2mobile
Following the loss of over 2,500 tower sites, T2mobile still has partnerships it can bank on.
In September, the company secured a spectrum lease agreement from MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. Under the arrangement, MTN will lease 5 MHz in the 900 MHz band and 15 MHz in the 1800 MHz band for a period of three years, starting from October 1, 2025, according to a statement by the company.
The roaming deal allows T2’s subscribers to use MTN’s infrastructure where coverage is weaker, ensuring more consistent connectivity across the country.
As part of the rebranding process, T2Mobile signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Huawei to upgrade its network infrastructure. The deal will see the telecoms operator bank on Huawei’s technology to put T2mobile in a position to offer resilient services both in the short and long run.
Data from the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in August revealed that T2mobile saw a subscriber gain of 290,601 in July 2025, attributed to its rebranding and national roaming agreement with MTN Nigeria. The development was its first customer gain in two years.
