Onome Amuge
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry regained momentum in August after a dip in the previous month, as notable subscriber gains by Airtel and MTN pushed active mobile connections to 171.3 million. This marks a rebound from July’s decline, when the industry shed more than a million subscriptions.
Fresh statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveal that Airtel was the standout performer, adding 1.5 million new customers in August, boosting its subscriber base to 58 million from 56.5 million in July. The healthy growth further entrenches its position as the second-largest operator in Africa’s biggest telecom market.
MTN, the industry leader, also delivered solid numbers, attracting 499,540 new users in the same period. Its subscriber base rose to 89.6 million, giving it a dominant 52.31 per cent share of the market. Globacom gained 173,244 activations, bringing its total connections to 20.9 million, while T2 (formerly 9mobile) was flat at 2.7 million subscriptions, a setback after its promising growth in July.
Industry analysts say Airtel’s strong performance underscores its growing appeal among Nigerian consumers, particularly in urban centres where data consumption is rising. The company has consistently outperformed rivals in net additions over the past year, thanks to competitive pricing and network expansion.
MTN, while still commanding the lion’s share of the market, faces mounting pressure from Airtel’s rise. Yet, its half-a-million subscriber gain in August shows resilience. With 52.31 per cent market share, MTN’s lead remains significant, but Airtel’s 33.89 per cent share indicates a narrowing gap.
Globacom, once a fierce competitor, remains in third place with 12.21 per cent share. Its subscriber gain in August highlights it is struggling to reclaim lost ground, especially against rivals investing heavily in 4G and 5G rollouts.
For T2, the August stagnation represents a pause after a brief comeback. In July, it was the only operator to record growth, adding nearly 291,000 subscribers after years of steady decline. That rebound followed its network-sharing agreement with MTN and renewed partnerships with equipment vendors like Huawei to modernize infrastructure.
The sector’s overall rebound also lifted Nigeria’s teledensity (the measure of active telephone lines per 100 inhabitants) to 79.14 per cent in August, up from 78.11 per cent in July. This growth reflects increasing digital connectivity as mobile phones remain the primary gateway to internet access in Africa’s largest economy.
The NCC noted that its teledensity calculation has been adjusted since September 2023, now based on a population estimate of 216 million.
