Mobile operator MTN Nigeria says it has invested over $1.8 billion in the last year to improve its network in the continent’s second largest economy.

Officials at the company say the money is earmarked to upgrade existing base stations and to update technologies on its radio networks throughout the West African country.

"Concerning our network optimisation and expansion, we have committed in excess of $1.8 billion to the exercise in the last 12 months,” said MTN Nigeria general manager responsible for corporate affairs and corporate services division, Funmilayo Omogbenigun.

"Our on-going network modernisation goes beyond just rolling out latest technology on the radio networks (towers) but also involves preparing the core and access networks for the latest technology," Omogbenigun added.

Omogbenigun also said MTN Nigeria has been working with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) with the hope of deploying Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology once the necessary spectrum becomes available.

The company, he said, had deployed several innovative solutions on the
network that would allow a seamless migration to LTE when the time came.

MTN Nigeria is the largest mobile network operator in the country with over 60 million network subscribers. Nigeria has a population of 162 million, according to the World Bank.