MTN Nigeria has reported a 6.4% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions in its latest 2025 Sustainability Report, marking continued progress in its long-term transition toward cleaner energy use across its nationwide telecom infrastructure.
The development comes as Nigeria intensifies its climate ambition, with a national target to cut emissions by 32% by 2030 while advancing green jobs, innovation, and a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
According to the report, MTN Nigeria’s emissions reduction was driven by expanded investments in energy-efficient systems, hybrid power solutions, and renewable energy expansion under its flagship decarbonisation strategy, Project Zero, which targets net-zero emissions by 2040.
The company disclosed that it invested about NGN10.1 billion in sustainability initiatives in 2025, while recording estimated savings of NGN8.5 billion from improved energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades.
Brandspur Banking News Desk reports that MTN’s energy transition strategy included replacing diesel-powered systems with gas-based power solutions and inverter systems, alongside expanding solar-powered rural telephony sites from 194 to 229 to improve connectivity in underserved communities.
Despite these gains, diesel remains the dominant energy source, accounting for 58.11% of MTN Nigeria’s total energy consumption in 2025. Gas-powered independent power producers contributed 23.63%, grid electricity accounted for 18.04%, while renewables remained marginal at 0.05%.
The reliance on diesel continues to impose significant financial pressure on the telecom operator, with MTN estimating annual diesel-related network power costs exceeding NGN60 billion, largely due to persistent grid instability across Nigeria’s power sector.
The company noted that it replaced 86 outdated cooling systems in 2024 across data centres and network sites, contributing to improved operational efficiency and reduced energy waste.
MTN Nigeria also confirmed its participation among early adopters of IFRS S1 and S2 sustainability reporting standards, placing it alongside a small group of Nigerian corporates aligning financial disclosures with global sustainability benchmarks.
Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola described the latest sustainability report as a key milestone in strengthening transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation, adding that sustainability remains central to MTN’s business resilience strategy.
The report further highlighted supply chain alignment efforts, with more than one-third of MTN’s key suppliers reportedly integrating emissions reduction targets in line with the company’s broader environmental objectives.
As Nigeria continues to face recurring national grid collapses and unstable electricity supply, telecom operators like MTN remain heavily dependent on diesel generators to maintain network uptime, even as pressure mounts to accelerate the transition to cleaner and more cost-efficient energy systems.
MTN’s latest performance underscores a broader industry tension between sustainability ambitions and infrastructural realities, where environmental progress is increasingly shaped by the limitations of national energy reliability.
