9mobile gasps for breath amid Nigeria’s growing telecom sector

• Market share shrinks as customers dump network

 JOY AGWUNOBI

The telecommunications sector in Nigeria stands as one of the country’s most vibrant industries, which has shown substantial growth and innovation in the past decade. With over 219 million active mobile subscribers and a fast penetration rate, the sector has been pivotal to Nigeria’s journey towards digitalisation and economic growth.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the market is currently dominated by four key players – MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria, and 9mobile with each competing fiercely to expand their reach and retain customers.

Yet, 9mobile finds itself struggling to stay afloat in an environment where it once held a more reasonable market share. The NCC’s Q1 2024 report reveals a clear disparity in subscriber numbers, with MTN leading the pack with 81.8 million active subscriptions, followed by Airtel Nigeria’s 63.4 million, and Globacom, 62.2 million.

Lagging far behind, 9mobile reported just 11.7 million subscriptions during the period. The disparity in market share further emphasises the company’s ongoing challenges, with MTN holding a 37 percent share, while Airtel and Globacom hold approximately 29 percent and 28 percent
respectively, leaving 9mobile with a meagre 5.3 percent of the market.

The report also highlighted a notable shift in the market that significantly affected 9mobile in the first quarter of 2024. Between January and March 2024, the commission reported that a total of 9,000 mobile subscribers switched networks, 9mobile experienced the highest subscriber loss during this period, with 6,443 customers leaving its network, representing 72 percent of all outgoing porting activities in that quarter.

In comparison, the other major telecom operators saw considerably lower outgoing porting figures. MTN lost only 473 customers, Airtel recorded 950 departures, and Globacom saw 1,143 subscribers porting out. When it came to attracting new subscribers, MTN stood out as the biggest gainer.

Of the 9,000 new incoming porting reported during the quarter, MTN successfully welcomed 6,555 new customers with 73 percent of all incoming porting to its network. Airtel welcomed 1,566 customers from other networks, Globacom gained 595 customers from other operators, while 9mobile saw minimal incoming porting, with only 293 subscribers transitioning to its network during the quarter.

9mobile, previously known as Etisalat Nigeria, has faced numerous challenges in the country’s competitive telecom market. Once a prominent player, the company has struggled with declining customer numbers and fierce competition.

The troubles began with financial difficulties that escalated into a debt crisis, ultimately leading its former parent company, Etisalat, to exit
Nigeria in August 2017. Since then, 9mobile has experienced multiple changes in ownership to secure its position in the industry. In 2018, a group of investors under Teleology Holdings acquired the company and rebranded it as 9mobile. More recently, in July of this year, LH Telecommunications
Limited took over ownership, introducing a new set of stakeholders and a restructured board of directors to usher in fresh strategic goals and hopes of revitalising the brand and reclaiming its lost market share.

However, despite the change in ownership, subsequent leadership restructuring, and the promises of the new leaders, the reality on the ground tells a different story as the company has continued to grapple with persistent service quality issues and declining customer satisfaction.

Subscribers have consistently expressed dissatisfaction with the telecom provider’s poor network services, which seem to persist across the country despite the managerial changes to revamp operations. One major and disruptive incident occurred on Friday, July 26, 2024, when 9 mobile subscribers experienced a total network outage that lasted for several days. This extended blackout left many users stranded without essential connectivity, unable to make calls or access the internet, severely impacting businesses and personal activities.

The outage sparked a wave of frustration among subscribers, many of whom took to social media to vent their grievances, tagging the company’s official handles in an attempt to draw attention to the issue, which was later resolved after some days. In addition to the prolonged outage, there have been numerous recent complaints from customers about several recurring problems, including constant network disruptions, poor voice call quality, slow and inconsistent internet speeds, and inadequate customer support services. These issues are not only inconvenient but also pose serious
setbacks for users relying on stable network services for work or critical communications.

A long-time 9mobile subscriber, Modupe Akande, recounted her ordeal with the network’s deteriorating service quality. “I have been with 9mobile for over nine years now, but the service has gotten much worse in recent months,” she explained.

According to her, calls drop frequently, and the internet barely functions, making it increasingly difficult to perform basic online activities.
“I am seriously considering switching to another provider if things don’t improve soon,” she stated.

Another 9mobile customer, who requested anonymity, voiced his frustration over ongoing issues with the network’s data services. He explained that despite being subscribed to a monthly data plan, accessing the internet remains a challenge. “It’s extremely frustrating. I recently renewed my monthly subscription, but most of the time, I can’t connect to the internet. In some areas, I get service, but in others, the network completely goes
off,” he noted.

He went on to share a troubling incident where the network’s unreliability nearly cost him his job. “During an online interview, I almost lost a job opportunity because of the poor network connection. Thankfully, I had another network on my phone, which I quickly switched to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have secured my current job,” he explained.

The customer further elaborated on his experience with the network’s slow data services. “When it comes to regular voice calls, the network is usually fine. But as soon as I turn on my data, the connection becomes so sluggish that it’s practically unusable. This is why I’m reluctant to subscribe to their
data plans, it’s like throwing money away,” he lamented.

Comparing his experience with another provider, he added, “With MTN, the internet is fast and reliable. 9mobile should either improve their network or shut down completely instead of frustrating people like this.”

A look at the company’s X page also revealed numerous complaints from subscribers in various states: @ CEO_CrystalGist, lamented “Good day, Please why is @9mobileng network not functioning from Masaka down to Keffi in Nasarawa State? This is more than a year to two and my main line is @9mobilengCare. I only have access to the network when I am in Abuja.”

Another user, @mathiasmike_ expressed his frustration, “@9mobileng how have you gone from one of the best networks and one of the best Internet service providers to being the worst, even Glo is better than you. You see your subscriber base constantly dropping and it doesn’t even faze you. Anyways, me too don port. Happy retirement.”

In addition to service quality issues, 9mobile’s marketing strategies appear to be less competitive than those of its rivals. While MTN and Airtel have been proactive in offering customer-centric packages and promotional deals, 9mobile’s offerings seem to lack appeal, which has contributed to its declining market share. The company has yet to roll out initiatives that resonate with customers or present it as a formidable competitor in the market.

The Nigerian telecom market remains one of the most competitive and rapidly evolving sectors in Africa, as operators continually strive to expand their customer base and introduce innovations.

For 9mobile, however, the journey over recent years has been marred by stagnation and operational challenges. Despite the infusion of new leadership and promises of revitalisation, the company’s ongoing struggles with customer satisfaction reveal deeper issues that need urgent addressing.