MTN Nigeria wins company of the year at Nairametrics awards

MTN Nigeria has been named Capital Market Company of the Year at the 2026 Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards, emerging as the biggest winner in one of the night’s most prestigious categories.

The telecommunications giant received the award during the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards held at the Civic Centre, Lagos, on Friday, June 5, where it was represented by members of its management team.

MTN Nigeria emerged victorious ahead of other nominees including Vitafoam Nigeria Plc and Guinness Nigeria Plc, securing the top honour in recognition of its outstanding market performance and value creation for shareholders.

What happened

The Capital Market Company of the Year category recognises a listed company that has demonstrated outstanding overall performance, profitability and shareholder value creation over the review period.

Reflecting the significance of the category, the award was the final recognition presented at the event, serving as the climax of the evening’s celebration of excellence across Nigeria’s capital market.

Speaking earlier in his keynote address, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, congratulated all the award recipients and urged stakeholders to remain committed to strengthening Nigeria’s capital market.

• He said the industry must continue building “a market that is trusted, inclusive, innovative and globally competitive — a market capable of channeling capital towards sustainable development and long-term prosperity.“
• “I would like to extend my congratulations to all the award recipients,” Popoola said.

More insights

Beyond winning the night’s biggest award, MTN Nigeria also clinched the Utilities and Infrastructure Company of the Year category.

The category recognises a utilities or infrastructure company that has delivered the most impactful operational performance and shareholder returns.

MTN Nigeria emerged ahead of fellow nominees Airtel Africa Plc and ETranzact International Plc to secure the award.

The double recognition appears to show the company’s growing importance within Nigeria’s capital market and reflects investor confidence in its recent financial performance.

What you should know

MTN Nigeria’s awards come on the back of one of the most remarkable financial recoveries among listed companies on the Nigerian Exchange.

• According to its filing on the NGX, the telecommunications giant reported a pre-tax profit of N1.70 trillion for the 2025 financial year, representing a dramatic turnaround from the N550.3 billion pre-tax loss recorded in 2024.

The performance marked a return to profitability following significant foreign exchange losses that weighed heavily on the company’s earnings in the previous year and stands as one of the strongest earnings recoveries in MTN Nigeria’s history.

The momentum accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2025, when pre-tax profit surged by 248.8% to N569.6 billion from N163.3 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. The growth was driven by sustained revenue expansion, improved margins and a more favourable foreign exchange environment.

The strong earnings trajectory has continued into 2026.

• For the first quarter of 2026, MTN Nigeria delivered one of the largest quarterly profits since its listing on the Nigerian Exchange, reporting a pre-tax profit of N546.42 billion. The figure represented a 169.64% increase compared to N202.65 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2025.

The result was MTN Nigeria’s second-highest quarterly pre-tax profit on record, coming just 4% below the N569.59 billion reported in the fourth quarter of 2025, further reinforcing the strength of its earnings recovery and operational performance.