Joy Agwunobi
Nigeria’s telecommunications market recorded a marked development in 2024, with data consumption reaching an all-time high even as millions of mobile and internet subscriptions disappeared from operator networks.
This is according to the 2024 Subscriber/Network Performance Report published by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which presents a review of the country’s telecom landscape during the year.
The regulatory authority reported that data traffic rose from 7.27 million terabytes in 2023 to 9.76 million terabytes in 2024, representing a 34.26 percent year-on-year increase. The NCC attributed this rise to the continuous expansion of 3G, 4G, and 5G coverage, the increased adoption of smartphones, and the deepening of Nigeria’s digital economy.
According to the commission, more Nigerians are relying on data-driven applications and services, which has pushed usage far beyond the capacities of traditional voice-centric networks.
However, this growth in data consumption occurred alongside one of the steepest declines in subscriber numbers in recent years. The report showed that active voice subscriptions dropped from 224.7 million in 2023 to 164.9 million by December 2024, marking a 26.61 percent decline. Internet subscriptions also fell significantly, sliding from 163.8 million in 2023 to 139.3 million in 2024, a loss of 24.56 million active internet lines within twelve months.
The NCC explained that the decline was primarily linked to the enforcement of the National Identification Number–Subscriber Identity Module (NIN-SIM) integration policy, which mandated that all SIM cards must be connected to verified NINs. Millions of lines that failed verification were barred or deactivated, while one major mobile network operator corrected previously overstated subscriber figures. As a result, teledensity fell from 103.66 percent in December 2023 to 76.08 percent by the end of 2024, reflecting the revalidation of Nigeria’s active subscriber base.
Despite the reduction in active lines, the NCC noted that cellular network coverage now exceeds 95 percent nationwide, underscoring the industry’s continued infrastructure expansion. Coverage across access technologies also recorded notable improvements, with 3G reaching 89.42 percent, 4G hitting 84.60 percent, and 5G still in early deployment, covering 13.28 percent of the population.
Broadband penetration inched upward from 43.71 percent to 44.43 percent during the year.
Infrastructure rollout remained robust across operators and tower companies. The total number of telecom towers across Nigeria rose to 39,880, with TowerCos accounting for 30,597 of these and mobile operators owning 9,283.
The NCC also confirmed that operators now operate 145,141 base stations, a figure boosted by intensified 5G deployment following regulatory support for spectrum allocation.
Fibre-optic development advanced significantly in 2024, with 110,577 kilometres of fibre laid across the country, up from 83,254 kilometres in 2023, representing 32 percent year-on-year growth. The commission noted that its engagement with state governments on waivers for Right-of-Way (RoW) fees contributed to this increase, although the reported total includes decommissioned or overlapping routes.
On market performance, mobile networks remained the dominant force in the voice segment, accounting for 99.8 percent of all active voice subscriptions. Fixed wired, fixed wireless, and VoIP services shared the remaining 0.2 percent. Within the GSM market, MTN led with 84.6 million active lines, representing 51.39 percent of the market. Airtel followed with 56.6 million (34.39 percent), while Globacom recorded 20.1 million (12.23 percent) and 9mobile (EMTS) trailed at 3.28 million (1.99 percent).
The commission also revealed shifts in prepaid and postpaid usage patterns. Prepaid mobile voice subscriptions fell from 217.1 million in 2023 to 161.47 million in 2024, while postpaid subscriptions plunged 59.32 percent, dropping from 7.45 million to 3.03 million. Prepaid users now constitute roughly 98.16 percent of the mobile subscriber base, reinforcing Nigeria’s longstanding preference for pay-as-you-go models in the telecom market.
In its commentary, the NCC said it would continue collaborating with tower companies, mobile operators, and government institutions to strengthen service coverage, secure telecom assets, and deepen digital inclusion nationwide. It referenced the Executive Order on the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) 2024, signed by the President, as a crucial policy instrument designed to curb persistent vandalism of towers, fibre cables, base stations, and other essential infrastructure that underpin Nigeria’s connectivity goals.
However, the reality on the ground indicates that the challenge remains far from resolved. Nigeria’s telecom sector has continued to experience widespread network disruptions, undermining operators’ ability to deliver reliable broadband and maintain expanding coverage footprints. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, the industry recorded over 40,000 cases of service-disrupting incidents, an escalation that has put operators under intense operational and financial pressure.
This revelation came from Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, who disclosed the figures in October 2025 during the Business Roundtable on Improving Investments in Broadband Connectivity and Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructure, held at the NCC Digital Economy Complex in Abuja.
Maida explained that the disruptions included 19,384 fibre cuts, 3,241 cases of equipment theft, and over 19,000 instances where operators were denied access to telecom sites by communities, property owners, or state actors.
According to him, these incidents not only trigger prolonged service outages but also impose heavy revenue losses, inflated security and maintenance costs, and delays in network restoration, ultimately affecting millions of users who depend on stable voice and data services. Maida warned that without stronger collaboration and enforcement, vandalism and site restrictions could stall the country’s broadband ambitions, especially at a time when 5G rollout and fibre expansion require heightened infrastructure protection.
“These incidents demonstrate why infrastructure protection must remain at the centre of our collective agenda. Without it, Nigeria risks stalling its broadband ambitions,” he said.
While 2024 was marked by substantial subscriber corrections due to identity verification requirements, the year also underscored Nigeria’s accelerating transition toward a data-driven digital ecosystem. Consumption patterns continued to rise even as the number of active lines underwent regulatory cleansing, reflecting a market increasingly reliant on broadband and increasingly vulnerable when infrastructure disruptions occur.
