MTN, IHS Nigeria extend tower lease agreements to 2032

IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited, and MTN Nigeria have announced the renewal and extension of their Nigerian tower Master Lease Agreements until December 2032.

The agreement, according to a statement on Wednesday, covers approximately 13,500 tenancy contracts, with the renewal including around 2,500 MTN Nigeria tenancies that were set to expire at the end of 2024 and in 2025.

Under the new terms, IHS Towers, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure, will renew 1,430 tenancies, including new collocations.

According to the firm, the updated contracts feature new financial terms, providing a more sustainable balance between local and foreign currency, as well as a diesel-linked component.

IHS noted that this arrangement underscored the importance of its infrastructure and the robust operational relationship with MTN Nigeria, which boasts approximately 79 million subscribers.

“Under the new terms, there is a dollar component that will continue to benefit from annual escalators linked to the US Consumer Price Index, a naira component that will benefit from escalators linked to the Nigerian Consumer Price Index, and a new component indexed to the cost of providing diesel power, introduced to act as a hedge against diesel prices and FX fluctuations,” the statement highlighted.

The Chairman and CEO, IHS Towers, Sam Darwish, said, “We are delighted to announce the renewal and extension of our agreement with our largest customer, MTN Nigeria.

“This marks a significant milestone for IHS Towers as it has completed the renewal of all tower MLA’s in Nigeria, a testament to the deepened relationship between the two companies.

“We are cognizant of the challenges faced in emerging markets and are proud to extend our relationship into the next decade, working together to navigate global and local macro conditions while broadening mobile connectivity in Nigeria through our critical infrastructure,” Darwish remarked.