MTN Nigeria pays ₦545.89bn dividend to 203k shareholders for H1 2026

Leading telecoms company MTN Nigeria has paid an interim dividend of ₦26 per share to shareholders who held the stock by the August 20, 2026 record date. Shareholders received the payment on September 7, 2026, 

Reactions and confirmations of the payment by shareholders on X (formerly Twitter) validate the development. 

The payment comes after MTN Nigeria reported a record profit after tax of ₦707.5 billion, up by 70.6% year-on-year during the first half of 2026. In its July financial report announcement, the company declared a record dividend of ₦26 per share to shareholders.

In breakdown, MTN Group Limited holds the majority stake, owning roughly 73% to 75% of the company. The remaining shares are distributed among over 203,000 shareholders, who mainly comprise Nigerians who have an indirect stake.

For the period, the company will be paying a total of approximately ₦545.89 billion to its shareholders. 

Also, its ₦3 trillion service revenue for the period was largely driven by ₦1.70 trillion in data revenue, with voice and fintech behind at ₦993 billion and ₦77 billion, respectively. Other services and digital contributed 7%.

Since MTN returned to profitability in 2025, supported by a relatively stable exchange rate, significant FX gains and tariff adjustments, the company’s revenue and profit have improved substantially. The same goes for its dividend. 

While it was unable to pay a dividend in 2024 after reporting a massive after-tax loss of about ₦400 billion due to severe forex volatility and naira devaluation, it returned to profitability in 2025. 

For 2025, MTN Nigeria paid a total of ₦419.91 billion to shareholders. For H1 2025, the company paid an interim dividend of ₦5 per share in October 2025. For H2 2025, the company paid a final dividend of ₦15 per share, bringing the total dividend for the year to ₦20 per share. 

Also read: For every ₦1 MTN Nigeria earns, only 24 kobo becomes profit – Modupe Kadri.

What each MTN shareholder gets

While MTN Nigeria declared an interim dividend payment of ₦26/share for H1 2026, not all of it goes into its shareholders’ pockets.

For every shareholder, the headline dividend is ₦26 per share. But after the 10% withholding tax, your net dividend is ₦23.40 per share.

By calculation, for instance;

• 1,000 shares = ₦23,400
• 5,000 shares = ₦117,000
• 10,000 shares = ₦234,000

MTN Nigeria’s share story from 2023 (during its downturns) to 2026 (when it’s experiencing improvement) shows how a company’s profitability and macroeconomic conditions shape how much shareholders take home.

Chief Victor Odili, who is reportedly the Nigerian with the largest shareholding in MTN Nigeria, was credited with a dividend of ₦22 billion in H1 2026.