Nigeria’s active telecommunications subscriptions rose above 200 million in September 2026 for the first time since the mass disconnection of telephone lines during the National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM linkage exercise, as the country’s mobile and broadband markets continued to expand.
An analysis of the latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that active telephone subscriptions increased to 200.34 million in September from 182.23 million in January, representing an addition of approximately 18.11 million connections, or 9.94 percent, in the first nine months of the year.
The growth marks a further recovery in the country’s telecommunications market following the disconnections associated with the NIN-SIM enforcement exercise in 2024, which significantly reduced the number of active telephone lines.
The expansion was also reflected in teledensity, which increased from 84.06 percent in January to 92.41 percent in September.
Teledensity measures the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants within a geographical area and is expressed as a percentage. The latest increase suggests a wider availability of telephone connections, although active subscriptions do not necessarily represent individual users, as one person may operate multiple SIM cards.
A breakdown of subscriptions by technology shows that fourth-generation (4G) networks continued to account for the largest share of Nigeria’s mobile connections, rising to 54.37 percent in September from 53.41 percent in January.
The share of fifth-generation (5G) connections also increased from 3.94 percent to 5.05 percent over the same period, indicating gradual adoption of newer mobile technologies.
However, third-generation (3G) connections declined from 5.67 percent in January to 4.16 percent in September, while second-generation (2G) subscriptions edged down from 36.97 percent to 36.42 percent.
The growth in active subscriptions was also reflected in the performance of the country’s four major mobile network operators, although their market positions remained uneven.
MTN Nigeria retained its position as the largest operator, with approximately 104.65 million active subscriptions, representing 52.30 percent of the market. Airtel Nigeria followed with 68.04 million subscriptions, accounting for 34 percent.
Globacom recorded 23.80 million active subscriptions, representing 11.89 percent, while T2, formerly 9mobile, had approximately 3.61 million subscriptions, accounting for 1.81 percent.
Together, MTN and Airtel controlled more than 86 percent of Nigeria’s active telephone subscription market, underscoring the concentration of mobile connections among the country’s two largest operators.
Beyond voice connectivity, the country’s broadband market also recorded growth during the period, with active broadband subscriptions increasing to 128.02 million in September from 115.04 million in January.
The addition of approximately 12.98 million subscriptions represents an 11.28 percent increase over the nine-month period, while broadband penetration reached 59.05 percent in September.
Active internet subscriptions also rose to 160.91 million in September from 151.56 million at the beginning of the year, representing an increase of approximately 9.36 million connections, or 6.17 percent.
However, internet data consumption recorded a month-on-month decline in September. Total usage fell to 1.73 million terabytes from approximately 1.76 million terabytes in August, a reduction of about 1.39 percent.
Despite the monthly decline, September’s data consumption remained higher than the 1.39 million terabytes recorded in January, representing an increase of approximately 25 percent over the first nine months of the year.
Fixed broadband infrastructure also recorded expansion, particularly in fibre-to-the-x (FTTX) connections, which include fibre-to-the-home and other fibre-based access technologies.
NCC statistics show that FTTX subscriptions increased to 401,666 in the third quarter of 2026 from 319,735 in the second quarter, representing a quarterly increase of 25.63 percent.
The figure also compares with 241,750 subscriptions recorded in the first quarter, indicating that fibre-based connections expanded by approximately 66.1 percent between January-March and July-September.
The growth in fibre subscriptions comes as telecommunications operators continue to expand their fixed broadband infrastructure to meet rising demand for faster and more reliable internet services among households and businesses.
Overall, the September figures show continued growth across Nigeria’s telecommunications market, with active telephone subscriptions crossing 200 million, broadband connections exceeding 128 million and fibre-based subscriptions recording further expansion.
|
|
